Global Factory

Abstract

The global factory emerged as a significant phenomenon in the last decades of the twentieth century, corresponding to the resurgence of free‐market ideologies and neoliberal approaches to economic development. The relocation of multinationals in search of ever cheaper labor led to the establishment of post‐Fordist, “flexible” assembly‐line production across national borders. Often labeled “sweatshops,” and frequently located in free trade zones that are legally outside national jurisdiction, such factories rely on a predominantly female workforce in the Global South. The collapse of Rana Plaza in Bangladesh in 2013, the worst industrial disaster in the history of the global garment industry, has reopened debates on the merits of sweatshop employment. Questions of accountability and transparency in the production chain are now at the forefront of debates. The incident has also rejuvenated transnational activism and solidarity work.