international labour standards, fundamental principles and rights at work

1. international labour standards, fundamental principles and rights at work sam ironside, ilo-actrav, 8 february 2007

2. workers’ rights, global agreements and multinational companies sam ironside, ilo-actrav, 8 february 2007

3. 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

4. sam ironside, ilo-actrav, 8 february 2007

5. sam ironside, ilo-actrav, 8 february 2007

6. 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

7. case study - telefonica • sam ironside, ilo-actrav, 8 february 2007

8. UNI and telefonica market value: € 64.3bn 200m customers 220,000 employees sam ironside, ilo-actrav, 8 february 2007 • established relationship – ten years in the making • the role of the multinational alliance • intensive cooperation • global agreement

9. the global agreement process 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

10. 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. Implementation: UNI and carrefour largest european retailer; world’s second largest market value: € 27.9 billion 436,000 employees sam ironside, ilo-actrav, 8 february 2007

11. sam ironside, ilo-actrav, 8 february 2007

12. 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

13. campaigns – UNI/ITF integrators campaign • event/information-based campaign • inter-federation coordination sam ironside, ilo-actrav, 8 february 2007

14. linking up – UNI’s work with DHL in hong kong 110,000 employees (500,000 in deutsche post group) 135 countries annual revenue: € 45bn sam ironside, ilo-actrav, 8 february 2007 • organising/trade union development project • the UNIdoc • international support

15. UNI and quebecor 46,000 employees – graphical and media annual revenues: $ 1billion • action-day approach • widening the global agreement participants • inter-federation cooperation • role of the multinational alliance sam ironside, ilo-actrav, 8 february 2007

16. UNI and vodafone • market value: £ 80bn • 60,000 employees • young campaign • focus on awareness-raising • organising sam ironside, ilo-actrav, 8 february 2007

17. UNI and wal-mart 176m customers every week 1.8m employees • wider consumer, social appeal • media campaign sam ironside, ilo-actrav, 8 february 2007

18. UNI and wal-mart • symbolic value of the campaign – paradigm shift sam ironside, ilo-actrav, 8 february 2007

19. conclusions? • many types of global agreement but strength and cooperation of unions is central to each • campaigning around ‘new’ MNCs – focus on organising sam ironside, ilo-actrav, 8 february 2007