This report documents the utter failure of corporate-led initiatives to address labor violations, spotlighting worker-driven social responsibility as an emerging model for holding brands and retailers accountable for working conditions in their supply chains.

Elena Arengo, the author of the report, said: “Enforceable brand agreements, or worker-driven social responsibility initiatives, differ significantly from corporate-led models because they seek to address the features of the apparel supply chain that are at the root of poor working conditions and labor rights violations: namely, the absence of binding and enforceable commitments, lack of transparency, sidelining of workers and their elected trade union representatives, and how the brands’ purchasing practices contribute to labor rights violations.”