Purchasing practices and working conditions in global supply chains: Results from field work in Bangladesh, China, India, South Africa and Turkey

A series of case studies, based on interviews, were carried out by the ILO in five major markets (Bangladesh, China, India, South Africa, and Turkey) in 2017–2018. An extensive database on purchasing practices from suppliers’ management and a rich data set on employment and working conditions from the workers of the same suppliers was compiled.

This allowed to further investigate the possible relationship between purchasing practices and working conditions, particularly in relation to wages, working hours, and the likelihood of accidents at work, as well as suppliers’ propensity to hire temporary workers or to outsource production.