TUAC Supports a New Resource for Promoting Worker Rights

The TUAC participated in a new report and trade union resource produced by the European corporate research cooperative, Syndex.  The report and accompanying documentary video are part of a new Syndex project on due diligence for workers, contains evidence of worker and trade union experiences with European multinational enterprises when they invest and conduct business in foreign markets.

OECD Governments have adopted two of the international standards in the field of responsible business due diligence: the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and the Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Business Conduct.  The Syndex Report confirms the gap between corporate reporting and implementation of the standards, particularly those that would imbed social dialogue and collective bargaining as meaningful structures for due diligence.

TUAC consistently observes two different approaches by European businesses.  In Europe, business operates with the expectation for trade union dialogue and bargaining is part of doing business.  In the United States and other markets where such dialogue and bargaining are not expected, European businesses often apply a different approach.

TUAC supports European efforts to enact mandatory due diligence rules for doing businesses, wherever they conduct business.  TUAC recently produced its own series of briefings, which reinforce the Syndex  conclusions.  TUAC has been critical of the overall lack of implementation of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, ILO conventions for forming unions and bargaining collectively.

Implementing the standards has proven difficult for the network of National Contact Points, with only six mediated agreements on trade union cases produced in 20 years.

TUAC supports updates to the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises that lead to progress on freedom of association and collective bargaining, along with changes to support wider respect for the National Contact Points as leading global authorities on responsible business and due diligence.