Roles of Government Agents in Industrial Relations in Ready-Made Garment Industry of Bangladesh: A Qualitative Approach

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the roles of Government Agents in maintaining Industrial Relations in the Ready-made Garment (RMG) industry of Bangladesh.Methods: This is a cross-sectional study using a qualitative approach and interpretative paradigm. A total of 23 face-to-face in-depth interviews were performed using the convenience sampling technique. A semi-structured interview with open-ended questions was used in this analysis. The process of data analysis for this study was performed using content analysis.Findings: From this study, it is revealed that Government Agents play their roles as umpires, conciliators, arbitrators, and administrators in industrial relations. They act in the system of industrial relations as both a planner and an administrator as well the play predominant roles in various tripartite bodies.Implications: This study contributes to the literature on industrial relations particularly in the RMG sector of Bangladesh. The findings of the study will encourage the stakeholders of the sector towards putting their trust in the roles of government agents, and consequently, the stakeholders involved will come forward to establish the rights of workers, make workers aware of their rights, ensure collective bargaining and labor welfare, and maintain better employeremployee relations.Limitations: This study will have use combine qualitative methods with quantitative methods to have more reliability and realization of the sought problem could be obtained precisely. Moreover, the results of this study might not explain the same problem from a different perspective even in the same industry in a different economy as well the conclusions reached in the study may not have universal application.Originality: This research will be the first-ever effort in Bangladesh to investigate the roles of the government agents towards the parties of industrial relations in the RMG industry of Bangladesh.