Introduction

This chapter provides an introduction to the book by presenting its general roadmap. Accordingly, it includes the following: background of the study, the scientific research problem, relevance and significance of the study, objectives, research questions, methodology, and scope of the study. This book examines the structural upgrading limitations and state of labour relations in late-industrializing Ethiopia's apparel exporting industrial parks from a human rights perspective. The significant themes of investigation are the structural limitations of Ethiopia's industrial policy and the minimum working conditions (minimum wage and related employment benefits, associational rights, and Occupational Safety and Health (OSH)) of local industrial workers. This book is exceptionally relevant because there is a paucity of literature on issues of labour relations among the various players in Ethiopia’s apparel exporting industrial apparel parks, one of the country’s most topical national development agendas. Hence, its findings will also have practical implications for academia, policymakers, industrial zone developers, operators, and private sectors within or outside the zones.