international labour standards, fundamental principles

and rights at work

sam ironside, ilo-actrav, 8 february 2007

sam ironside, ilo-actrav, 8 february 2007

i. workers’ rights, global agreements and multinational companies

union network international

• global union federation for skills and services

• created by the merger of FIET, CI, MEI and Graphical

• 15 million members, 900 unions, 140 countries

• head office in nyon, switzerland

• sam ironside, ilo-actrav, 8 february 2007

• sam ironside, ilo-actrav, 8 february 2007

• sam ironside, ilo-actrav, 8 february 2007

• sam ironside, ilo-actrav, 8 february 2007

workers’ rights, global agreements

and multinational companies

some multinational companies (MNCs) adopt a positive, progressive approach to transnational social dialogue.

but only some.

how to uphold the relationship with central management in order to exert influence throughout the group’s activities?

the global/framework agreement – the solution?

• sam ironside, ilo-actrav, 8 february 2007

case study - telefonica

UNI and telefonica

market value: € 64.3bn200m customers

220,000 employees

sam ironside, ilo-actrav, 8 february 2007

o established relationship – ten years in the making

o the role of the multinational alliance

o intensive cooperation

o global agreement

the global agreement process

sam ironside, ilo-actrav, 8 february 2007

no one-size-fits-all formula: different types, names, objectives, emphases, content

Role of multinational alliances, home nation trade unions

Signed it? Now implement it…

sam ironside, ilo-actrav, 8 february 2007

Implementation: UNI and carrefour

largest european retailer; world’s second largestmarket value: € 27.9 billion436,000 employees

                                      

                                                            

Jan Furstenborg of UNI Commerce and Kim Hyung-keun, president of KFPSWU spent two days in discussions with the Korean Carrefour workers in Seoul, trying to find a solution to long-standing labour relations problems.

sam ironside, ilo-actrav, 8 february 2007

sam ironside, ilo-actrav, 8 february 2007

workers’ rights, global agreements

and multinational companies

most multinationals are not adopting a positive approach to social dialogue, particularly on a voluntary or transnational basis

what is the trade union response?

the importance of organisation

international cooperation, increasing leverage

campaigning

sam ironside, ilo-actrav, 8 february 2007

campaigns – UNI/ITF integrators campaign

o event/information-based campaigno inter-federation coordination

sam ironside, ilo-actrav, 8 february 2007

linking up – UNI’s work with DHL in hong kong

110,000 employees (500,000 in deutsche post group)135 countriesannual revenue: € 45bn

o organising/trade union development project

o the UNIdoc

o international support

sam ironside, ilo-actrav, 8 february 2007

UNI and quebecor

46,000 employees – graphical and mediaannual revenues: $ 1billion

o action-day approach

o widening the global agreement participants

o inter-federation cooperation

o role of the multinational alliance

sam ironside, ilo-actrav, 8 february 2007

UNI and vodafone

market value: £ 80bn60,000 employees

o young campaigno focus on awareness-raisingo organising

sam ironside, ilo-actrav, 8 february 2007

UNI and wal-mart

176m customers every week1.8m employees

o wider consumer, social appealo media campaign

sam ironside, ilo-actrav, 8 february 2007

UNI and wal-mart

o symbolic value of the campaign – paradigm shift

sam ironside, ilo-actrav, 8 february 2007

conclusions?

o many types of global agreement but strength and cooperation of unions is central to eacho campaigning around ‘new’ MNCs – focus on organising