Download Experiences with international agreements

International Framework
Agreements
Other initiatives by International
Professional Trade Union
Federations to promote decent
work in Multinational
Enterprises; role of trade unions
at national level
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Experiences with
international
agreements
IFA constitute a major
instrument to compel
multinational enterprises
to comply with desirable
ethical and social
principles all over the
world
International Framework
Agreements (IFA) are
proven to be a useful tool
for workers all over the
world;
IFA are used successfully to
discuss important issues
for both parties and also
allow problems to be
resolved;
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
IFA pay a special role in the field of corporate
social responsibility (CSR);

IFA are agreements signed by partners based on
shared principles as a key aspect of international
labour dialogue;
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IFA are additional to other efforts such as:
 The field of corporate social responsibility,
transparency of enterprises and/or sustainable
development;



OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises;
ILO Declaration of Tripartite Principles on
Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy;
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The objective of International Agreements (IFA):
Reminder: Features of International Agreements
• "to establish the
principles and
standards that
the
multinational
enterprise
concerned
applies
wherever it has
its business
activities
throughout the
world,
regardless of
whether it is
necessary to do
so through
domestic laws
or regulations"
• Negotiated, not unilateral: An
international agreement is not a
code of conduct
• Recognition and implementation of
core labour standards
• Promotion of social dialogue at
international, regional and
enterprise level
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Special provisions for:

Health and Environment

Inclusion of subcontractors and suppliers

HIV / AIDS

Protection of women

Approved surveillance and verification mechanisms
Mechanisms to deal with problems: procedures
for breaches

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Objectives (contd.)
International Framework Agreements (IFA) are proven to be a
useful tool for workers all over the world;
IFA are used successfully to discuss important issues for both
parties and also allow problems to be resolved;
IFA constitute a major instrument to compel multinational
enterprises to comply with desirable ethical and social
principles all over the world;
IFA pay a special role in the field of corporate social
responsibility (CSR);
IFA are agreements signed by partners based on shared
principles as a key aspect of international labour dialogue;
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Examples of Existing International Agreements (IndustriAll)
StatoilHydro
Freudenberg
Endesa
Norske Skog
Anglogold
ENI
RAG
SCA
LUKOIL
EDF
Rhodia
Lafarge
Umicore
1998
2000
2002
2002
2002
2002
2003
2004
2004
2005
2005
2005
2007
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CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

The concept of Corporate Social Responsability
(CSR) consists of applying the notion of
sustainable development to enterprises.

It refers to a "concept in which enterprises
include social, environmental and economic
concerns in their activities"
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
CSR assumes that enterprises will reassess their
economic model and strategy by including
environmental issues, such as climate change or
diminishing resources, social issues such as
diversity or respect for human rights, while
complying with rules on good governance.

It concerns both multinationals and small and
medium enterprises but applies differently from
one sector to another.
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
Corporate responsibility results from civil society
pressure (NGOs, associations) for a better inclusion of
environmental and social impacts in the activity of
enterprises.

This concept arose particularly as a consequence of
the global environmental problems experienced since
the 1970s

The term "corporate social responsibility" comes from
the European Commission (2001 Green Book) which
defines it as "the voluntary inclusion by enterprises of
social and environmental concerns in their commercial
activities and relations with stakeholders"
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
In the European definition, the term "social" is taken from
the English word, whereas it is closer to the term
"sociétale" in French, which specifically includes the
environmental aspect.

According to the Commission, the concept of CSR
essentially means that enterprises, of their own initiative,
contribute to improving society and protecting the
environment, in conjunction with stakeholders.

CSR tends to define the responsibilities of enterprises with
respect to stakeholders using the philosophy of "act local,
think global" (René Dubos). This means integrating the
global and local situation into the strategic planning and
practice of enterprises.
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Other initiatives

Tripartite declaration of principles concerning
multinational enterprises and social policy adopted in
1977 by the ILO's Governing Body.
Revised in March 2000 with the Trade Union Advisory
Committee (TUAC), which represents workers'
organizations within the OECD and over which it has
de facto control.
The ILO declaration deals mainly with employment,
training, work conditions and professional relations
within multinational enterprises.
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
The OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises
adopted in 1976 which propose a series of measures
to Member States aimed at ensuring healthy social
management within MNE.

The ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and
Rights at Work, and its follow up.
This Declaration which refers to fundamental ILO
conventions (there are currently eight of them) discussed
during the Singapore Conference, binds Member States,
even if they have not ratified one or several of these
conventions. It has thus not had the effect of creating
new obligations for Member States, as its declaratory
nature classifies it as what is called "soft law" (Duplessis,
2004).
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GLOBAL COMPACT
Another initiative (concept of sustainable development)

Initiated by Kofi Annan in July 2000, the United Nations
Global Compact is a network made up of the Compact
Office and six United Nations Agencies.

The participants are: Enterprises, Governments, Trade
Unions, NGOs and Civil Society Organizations as well as
Academic Institutions, development agencies, local
authorities and organizations that deal with corporate
social responsibility issues
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The Global Compact is based on ten principles subdivided into four categories:
Human rights
 Labour standards (fundamental standards)
 Environment
 Fight against corruption

Voluntary decision of Enterprises to become a member
(Letter to SG) of the United Nations
Obligtory annual report by enterprises on compliance
with principles
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
There are a good number of existing international instruments,
designed to regulate the activities of transnational enterprises,
which are inapplicable and thus largely ineffective in practice.

There are many such instruments, but few, i.e. none of them, are
binding and enterprises have no qualms about disregarding them,
especially in developing countries.

There are few national accountability mechanisms, where access to
justice for ordinary citizens is difficult, and in which governments
are ready to work with enterprises to protect the benefits
enterprises bring to their economy.
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INTERNATIONAL AND REGIONAL TRADE
UNION ACTIONS

Negotiating and following up international agreements with
multinational enterprises among others, on workers' rights, equality
at work and the best health, safety and environmental protection
standards in the world

Networking trade union representatives in multinationals;

Coordinating solidarity and supporting unionized workers during
disputes

Creating and strengthening trade union organizations in countries
where they are non-existent or weak
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
Providing information and expert support on
issues from collective bargaining to health and
safety standards

Representing the interests of workers at the
United Nations, its agencies and other
intergovernmental organizations

Training trade union leaders and officers
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
The trade union movement has developed "Global
Union Federations" (GUF) for different industrial
sectors, whose work is to provide assistance to
national (affiliated) trade unions so that they can
deal with existing problems with the General
Management of Multinational Enterprises.

Generally, members of your basic network will
include a GUF official responsible for your sector.
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Creation of networks as a response to MNE strategies
Within international enterprises that dominate modern industry, trade union officers
can create permanent links among themselves, beyond national borders.
The "networks" that these contacts provide give workers at these enterprises the
possibility of:
sharing information on work and working conditions
warning each other of changes and developments in professional life


strengthening the negotiating position of their trade union organizations

helping each other in their organizational efforts

representing each other jointly before the company management
signing international agreement with the central management
... and far more still.

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NETWORK: SOURCE OF POWER
Negotiating
power
Trade
union
affiliation
Information
Solidarity
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NATIONAL ACTIONS

Creating trade unions at branches of Multinationals

Training trade union leaders on awareness of and
the use of IFA

Writing the content of IFAs in plain language per
each sector concerned
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
Reporting and making complaints against breaches
of workers' rights in subsidiaries of Multinational
Enterprises (GUF-ILO)

Holding campaigns for the adoption of collective
agreements in enterprises

Making alliances with OSCs and NGOs

Joining or starting campaigns at the time of major
trade union events (1 May, 7 October, 8 March,
etc.)
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"Laws are made by and for the
powerful, but once they exist, they can
be used against them. "
Thank you
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