ACFTU Turin course on Promoting Social Dialogue for Workers’ Rights

1. ACFTU Turin course on Promoting Social Dialogue for Workers’ Rights Raghwan-ILO-ACTRAV Globalisation and the Development of Framework Agreements

2. What is a Global Agreement? • An agreement between a global (multinational) company and a Global Union Federation (GUF) • It is Social Dialogue at international level (across countries)

3. Why Global Agreements? • Historical development • Local companies-local collective agreements • National companies-national collective agreements • Global companies (across countries)- global agreements

4. What are the benefits for Employers? • It is a signed agreement with its workers (unions) • It is a commitment to social responsibility • A commitment to the consumers that the goods are rightly priced; right quality and produced under right conditions

5. What is in a Framework Agreement? In practise it is a commitment on:- • To observe International Labour Standards for the recognition of the right to join a trade union, to bargain collectively and to non-discrimination in employment

6. What is in it? • To never use child labour or forced labour • To observe decent working conditions • To adhere to good environmental standards

7. Benefits for workers • Assists in organising- shows examples of unions being able to increase union membership • Countries where it was difficult to oragnise workers have been made possible to oragnise • Assists in organising work outsourced • Signed agreement with the employer • Respect for fundamental rights

8. What are the standards and are they different for different companies? • The standards are as outlined by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) • These can apply to all countries-developed, developing –rich or poor countries

9. Does it mean same wages and work conditions in all the countries where a company has factories? • No! • The Framework agreement can replace local level union negotiations • The wages and work conditions are ditermined by negotiations between the company and the union at the enterprise or national level • Also it is based on national legislation (minimum wages)

10. Examples of Global Agreements Building Workers International (BWI) • IKEA- a furniture making company –parent company based in Sweden • Faber Castell –makes pencils –German company International Metal Workers Federation (IMF) • Volkswagen (cars), Daimler and Chrysler (cars)-parent company in Germany

11. Examples Union Network International (UNI) • Carrefour-French supermarket company, H&M –a Swedish Clothes outlet company International Union of Food and Allied Workers (IUF) • Danone-Food –French company, Accor-hotel chain-French

12. Monitoring of commitment What happens if a company does not follow the agreement? • The workers or the union can report the matter to the GUF and the GUF would take it up with the company

13. What is the implication for Chinese trade unions? • Assist in organising multinational companies • Development of cooperation with International Trade unions-GUFs • Need for active unions at local and enterprise levels.