Assessing compliance with International Labor Organization convention No. 100 in Bangladesh's ready-made garments industry for sustainable development goals

Abstract

The ready-made clothing business in Bangladesh is recognized as one of the most prosperous industries, making a substantial contribution to the country's economic growth. There are about five thousand ready-made garment industries in our country. Presently, international buyers are placing orders with a focus on ensuring compliance with International Labor Organization (ILO) conventions. ILO conventions focused on the different social and labor issues. Among the different ILO conventions, ILO convention (No.100) particularly discussed about equal remuneration both for men and women in workplace. Hence, successful implementation of compliance with the ILO convention in RMG industry is required for achieving sustainable development goals (SDG-8) that ensures a better and more sustainable future for all. This study aims to examine the implementation status of ILO Convention No. 100 compliance in the RMG industry (Readymade Garment Industry), a key requirement for attaining SDG 8. A close loop questionnaire regarding the ILO convention (No.100) was prepared containing five questions to conduct the research work. The study collected feedback from 154 respondents, encompassing male and female employees from diverse RMG industry sectors. A Likert 5.0 Scale and Chi-Square test were used for deeper and appropriate analysis. The survey results revealed a satisfactory level of compliance with ILO Convention No. 100 in the RMG industry of Bangladesh. The findings of this study will be highly beneficial to garment industry owners in understanding their existing level of compliance with ILO convention (No. 100).