Contemporary status of industrial relations in readymade garments industries: Bangladesh perspective

Abstract

Industrial Relations (IR) or Employment Relations (ER) isa marker of organized industry and organized labour that has evolved since the industrial revolution and mechanized production. Different country has seen the evolution of participatory management in manufacturing and production in different ways at different times where management allowed or was forced to allow democratic norms in labour or employee relations. Readymade Garment (RMG) is one of the most visible organized manufacturing sectors serving as back-office suppliers of global brands of developed countries. This research attempted to measure the effectiveness of IR practices of selected Readymade Garment (RMG) factories to explore the relationships, job security, and empowerment issues. Opinions of 346 workers were collected and analyzed using a one-sample "t-test". The study discovered the effectiveness of IR practices in the area of developing a positive relationship among all the stakeholders, and the sample RMGs were found to be weak in ensuring social security for the workers and establishing trade unions in the factory. This research work is one of the first attempts to measure the IR practice in the RMG sector of Bangladesh. However, its outcome may enrich the existing body of knowledge and facilities in the design of an effective IR program for the development of this sector.