Better Work

Nicaragua

In operation since 2010, Better Work Nicaragua aims to improve the working conditions and competitiveness of Nicaragua’s garment industry through a combination of advisory services, training, and industry seminars between compliance assessments. The programme has an ambitious focus on gender equality and eliminating discrimination.

Brands and Retailers

18

Factories

27

Workers

43,000

Since 2021, a special intervention on the “Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH)” has been rolled out to 8 factories in Nicaragua employing approximately 10,000 workers.

After three years in Better Work Nicaragua, workers are less concerned with late payments, low wages and excess overtime.

Factories enrolled in Better Work had no violations with safety and health measures to protect pregnant workers by their fifth year of participation, moving from 31% non-compliance to zero.

Better Work Nicaragua

In operation since 2010, Better Work Nicaragua aims to improve the working conditions and competitiveness of Nicaragua’s garment industry.

Better Work Nicaragua has contributed to significant progress of the compliance performance of the garment industry through a combination of advisory services, training, and industry seminars between compliance assessments.

The programme has expanded opportunities for decent work on the factory floor as well as strengthened public policies, institutions and practices at the national level. As part of its commitment to addressing discrimination, particularly based on gender, the programme has embedded gender equality throughout its operations. There is strong evidence highlighting that factories make improvements as they become more mature in their participation in the programme, as evidenced by declining non-compliance with ILO labour standards and national labour law in the areas of contracts, occupational safety and health and working time.

MORE ABOUT THE PROGRAMME
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Strategic Goals

Better Work Nicaragua’s 2023-2027 strategic phase will work to achieve the following outcomes

By 2027, working conditions, business practices, and compliance across Nicaragua’s garment sector are further improved.

By 2027, the policy environment is enhanced with the aim to achieve a more fair and productive garment industry in the country.

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Contribution to Priority Themes

Better Work`s global strategy, Sustaining Impact sets out eight thematic priorities for our programme of work. Better Work Nicaragua`s work focuses on four of these cross-cutting themes, which are essential to achieving our strategic outcomes and will be present in our factory engagement, research, policy influencing and content produced as well as affect how we allocate our human and financial resources:

Data and Evidence

Data and Evidence

The use and accessibility of key Better Work factory data collected through assessment, advisory and training is constantly under review. Better Work Nicaragua is committed to evidence-based impact measurement to assess the impact of the POSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment) intervention. Results will be used to further raise awareness about the importance of work on this issue among constituents.

Gender Equality and Inclusion

Gender Equality and Inclusion

Better Work Nicaragua has developed a holistic methodology called “POSH – Prevention of Sexual Harassment”, which works with factories for six months to implement a comprehensive intervention. This approach will continue to be expanded (currently in one third of Better Work Nicaragua factories) to more companies.

Occupational Safety and Health

Occupational Safety and Health

Better Work Nicaragua will continue to work on building a safety and health culture through worker-management dialogue and strengthening the unions’ capacity to work productively with employers on this thematic area. The programme will also focus on the management systems required for developing, implementing, achieving and maintaining safety and health policies.

Social Dialogue

Social Dialogue

Social Dialogue is at the core of factory level work in Nicaragua as the programme has supported the establishment of strong bi-partite committees at the enterprise level. The programme continues to strengthen these committees and their members to make inclusive and transparent social dialogue the norm in the sector.

 

Key Partners

Governments

Government

Ministry of Labour (MITRAB) National Free Trade Zone Commission (CNZF)
employers

Employers

Nicaraguan Apparel and Textiles Manufacturers Association (ANITEC)
Workers

Workers

Central Sandinista de Trabajadores (CST) Central Sandinista de Trabajadores, José Benito Escobar (CST-JBE) Confederación de unificación sindical (CUS) Confederación de Unidad de trabajadores (CUT)
Business Community

Brands and retailers

21 brands

Development Partners

Currently, Better Work Nicaragua uses a revenue-based model to provide its services and receives in-kind support from the National Free Trade Zone Commission (Comision Nacional de Zonas Francas). Past financial support has been provided by the United States Department of Labor (USDOL).

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