ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has shaken the world’s economy and supply chains worldwide, and the global garment industry is certainly no exception. During the time of a global crisis such as the pandemic, these already difficult conditions have been made even more precarious for the millions who depend on these jobs for their livelihoods. This global pandemic has put a spotlight on many of the inequalities and unequal power dynamics that were always present in the system. In this chapter, the authors seek to do the following: (1) understand why a global pandemic has caused such disruptions in the global supply chain, (2) recognize that this has been detrimental to workers at the bottom of these supply chains, (3) explore corporate responses to the unprecedented crisis, (4) examine certain short term and longer-term changes to alleviate some of this hardship on workers, and (5) identify the role and responsibility of the state and business as duty-bearers. We do this by drawing on evidence from three complimentary projects of primary research and we also drew on additional research including available literature and publicly-accessible information. The primary focus of this chapter is on Bangladesh, but conclusions are drawn based on insights gained from studies in India and Vietnam as well.
