Post on 12-Jan-2016
Verena Schmidt, ACTRAV: TRIPARTITE
DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES CONCERNING
MULTINATIONAL ENTERPRISES
AND SOCIAL POLICY« These slides are partly based on a powerpoint
presentation from MULTI »
MNE DeclarationIssues
Background and aimGeneral policiesEmployment
promotion, equality, securityTrainingConditions of work and life
wages and benefits, child labour, safety and health
Industrial relations freedom of association and right to
collective bargaining
MNE DeclarationAdded Value
Universal reference point for social responsibility agreed by governments, business and labour
balances roles and responsibilities of business, governments and unions
applies equally across countries of operation
MNE Declaration offers workers
Framework for:
fundamental rights at work
skills training for employability
good working conditions
sound industrial relations
MNE Declaration offers business
Multinationals: risk management and productive relationships in country of operation
Local business: capacity to create and maintain partnerships in global markets
MNE Declarationoffers governments
Host countries: ways to attract multinational
investment and build decent work to reduce poverty
Home countries: investment and partnerships
opportunities
MNE DeclarationNational, regional and sectoral
initiatives building national, regional and sectoral
partnerships
stimulating consultations and coordinated action among government, business and labour
influencing government action: FDI and employment policies
helping collective bargaining agreements
providing input at regional levels
MNE Declaration Principles in practice Skills training: Spain
National Agreement on HRD and Continuing Training
MNEs develop working methods for training aimed at different occupational categories
MNEs submit training plans for funding upon approval by tripartite committee
Results:MNE needs satisfied increased jobshigher technical skills developedconditions of work enhanced
MNE Declaration Principles in practice
Providing input at regional levels:
a Southern African experience The “Maputo Declaration” adopted in May 1999 by worker representatives in the textile, clothing, leather and footwear industry from nine SADC member countries:
respect and promotion of core labour standards
endorse and implement the MNE Declaration and the 1998 ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work
encourages regional collective bargaining agreements
MNE Declaration Principles in practice
Stimulating social consultations: Philippines
Memorandum of Social Understanding & Plan of Action
adopted by Governments, business and workers
framework of objectives guided by the MNE Declaration
key roles of each partner in coordinated action to promote employment, security, training, working conditions and sound industrial relations
MNE DeclarationCorporate Social Responsibility
inspiring company policies and programmes on a day-to-day basis
offering benchmarks for corporate performance
providing baselines for framework agreements
MNE Declaration Corporate Social Responsibility
Offering benchmarks for corporate performance
Principles in practice Equality of employment opportunity
equal opportunity policy ? training systems on non-discrimination ? grievance procedure to address
discrimination/harassment ? sanctions for violation of company policy ? recruitment based on skills ? promotion and compensation based on
performance ?
MNE Declaration Corporate Social Responsibility
Providing baselines for framework agreements
negotiated between MNE and Global Union Federation
apply to MNEs’ operations around the world
now, 52 framework agreements covering more than 4.2 million workers
MNE Declaration
ILO products and servicesAssessing progress: follow-up
surveys Experiences in terms of MNE Declaration goals Joint or separate views of home and host country
governments and of workers’ and employers’ organizations across ILO membership
conclusions and recommendations decided by global representatives of government, labour and business
results:examples of good practice insights into new trendspractical experiences
MNE DeclarationILO products and services
Addressing conflicts: interpretation procedure
Requests for interpretation of the MNE Declaration: in specific cases of actual dispute
over the meaning of the principlesexamined and answered by the ILO
Governing Body to date, interpretations have been given
in five cases covering:Notice before change of operationsConsultations on decisions with major
employment effectsAuthority of management
representatives to take decisions during negotiations
Consultation on decisions with major employment
effects• In 1983 an American bank decided to
lay off 200 out of 650 employees of its British subsidiary
• The trade union was not informed• The MNE subcommittee accepted the
case and agreed on the interpretation of the MNE Declaration based on C158 (Termination of an employment relationship) that the companies need to inform trade unions of a closure (where they exist)
Follow up to the MNE Declaration
• Since 1996 the survey questionnaire on the MNE Declaration is sent sent directly to employers’ and workers’ organizations to increase the response rate
• However, for the eight survey (2006) only 62 countries replied, from which 13 responses came from workers’ organizations
MNE Declaration Other international levels of
operation The OECD Guidelines on
Multinational EnterprisesMNE Declaration All ILO member states
Tripartite oversight
Assistance by ILO offices on a tripartite basis
OECD Guidelines Countries of operation of OECD countries companies
OECD governments’ supervision
Service by National Contact Points with or without business and labour inputs
MNE Declaration Other international levels of
operation UN Global Compact
UN Global Compact Human rights principles Environment principles Labour principles
built-in dialogue and partnerships
UN agencies, business, labour and NGOs oversight
MNE Declaration Added guidance on
ways to implement labour principles
built-in dialogue and partnerships
Tripartite oversight
freedom of association and collective bargaining elimination of forced labour effective abolition of child labour elimination of employment discrimination