Working Papers, vehicles for disseminating information on a range of topics related to the world of work and the evolution of social and labour policies and practices for a given sector, are regularly published and widely disseminated. Background reports and issues papers, which provide more in-depth analysis on specific issues, are also published for discussion at international tripartite meetings and global dialogue fora.

Publications

The Sectoral Policies Department is the ILO’s repository of knowledge on sector-specific labour and social issues. Research and studies conducted, in line with the ILO’s research policies, deal with emerging and priority issues of strong interest for ILO’s sectoral constituents.

2020

  1. © BetterWork 2022

    Briefing note

    COVID-19 and the textiles, clothing, leather and footwear industries

    09 April 2020

    The viability of the textiles, clothing, leather and footwear industries is unravelling, as workers are told to stay at home, factories close, and global supply chains grind to a halt. The cancellation of orders has hit thousands of firms and millions of workers particularly hard. We urgently need solidarity and joint action across the industries’ supply chains. The ILO is committed to supporting governments in protecting the health and economic well-being of workers and businesses in the textiles, clothing, leather and footwear industries.

2019

  1. Publication

    Sexual harassment at work: Insights from the global garment industry

    10 December 2019

  2. Publication

    The future of work in textiles, clothing, leather and footwear

    06 February 2019

    This working paper on the future of work in textiles, clothing, leather and footwear (TCLF) has been prepared for ILO constituents and other key actors in the TCLF industries to facilitate their discussions in the centennial year of the ILO and beyond.

2018

  1. Publication

    Does Piece Rate Pay Impact Perceived Occupational Hazards in Garment Factories? Evidence from Vietnam

    30 August 2018

  2. Publication

    International Framework Agreements in the food retail, garment and chemicals sectors: Lessons learned from three case studies

    31 May 2018

    With a focus on three recent IFAs in three economic sectors, this working paper is a contribution to the growing body of knowledge on international framework agreements. It complements existing and ongoing research on national and cross-border social dialogue and international framework agreements by other international and regional organizations and by the ILO itself.

2017

  1. Publication

    Workplace Compliance in Global Supply Chains

    05 January 2017

    The aim of the study on workplace compliance is to map and analyse some of the governance mechanisms engaged in global supply chains, and to encourage collaboration between stakeholders to develop a culture of compliance.

2016

  1. Publication

    Sectoral Studies on Decent Work in Global Supply Chains

    27 May 2016

    Comparative Analysis of Opportunities and Challenges for Social and Economic Upgrading

2007

  1. International Labour Review, Vol. 146 (2007), No. 1-2

    Beyond corporate codes of conduct: Work organizations and labour standards at Nike's suppliers

    01 February 2007

2006

  1. Publication

    Evaluation Report: Improving competitiveness in the textiles, clothing and footwear (TCF) sectors by promoting decent work

    01 September 2006

2005

  1. Publication

    Promoting fair globalization in textiles and clothing in a post-MFA environment. Report TMTC-PMFA/2005

    16 September 2005

    The report presents a picture of the situation, as it stands, a few months after the abolition of quotas in the textile and clothing manufacturing sector. It analyses some lessons and experiences drawn from attempts to develop integrated strategies towards fair globalization in textiles and clothing and suggests some elements that could be incorporated into a Collaborative Agenda for Action where all the actors concerned would have shared responsibilities.