The GVC literature has identified six governance mechanisms for addressing decent work deficits (Gereffi and Lee 2016). Building on this work, this article argues that since decent work deficits are often the result of power imbalances in GVCs, the most effective governance mechanisms are those that mitigate these asymmetries. Three such mechanisms are: 1. Public governance, because it brings in the power of the state; 2. Labour‐centric governance, because it brings in the power of collective organization and bargaining; and 3. Transnational multi‐stakeholder binding agreements, because they entail employer‐labour co‐governance and legal consequences for violators. The labour governance mechanism that most effectively address decent work deficits will differ depending on variations in gaps in national labour relations regimes, and it will be shaped by patterns and strategies of worker resistance.