In our last column, we reviewed extant research that indicated no sustainable progress in labor conditions in global supply chains, particularly with regard to freedom of association, wages and other standards. So what explains the lack of progress? There are several horses in the race.
The first horse is “Wrong Solution.” Private regulation that allows brands to police their own labor practices is the wrong solution. It avoids or crowds out national regulation, as wells as organized workers and bargaining. The best solution gets national governments to write and act out good labor laws.
The second horse is “Not Trying Hard Enough.” Companies are not serious about private regulation. Many adopt policies but do not implement them; in academic circles we call this ‘symbolic adoption’ or ‘policy-practice decoupling.’
Advertisement Air Force photograph by Capt. Hope R. Cronin
An Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., F-35A Lightning II receives fuel from a KC-135 Stratotanker assigned to MacDill AFB, Fla., approximately 100 miles off the Gulf Coast March 2, following the 58th Fighter Squadron’s first successful munition employment at a nearby range. Airmen from the 33rd Fighter Wing were able to complete modifications to the aircraft ahead of schedule to enable the use of inert munitions instead of simulated weapons, advancing the fifth-generation fighter’s syllabus and ensuring pilots receive the most comprehensive training before they support a combat-coded F-35A unit.