From Societization of Workers’ Rights Defending to the Construction of Corporate Social Responsibility: The Experience of Yiwu City’s General Trade Union

Este escrito se ocupa de analizar los discursos y prácticas de Responsabilidad Social Empresarial RSE, en relación con las políticas laborales y la negociación colectiva en las firmas. Después de definir RSE como parte de las tendencias y procesos de la actual globalización, se presenta un panorama de las acciones sindicales que en diferentes contextos nacionales se orientan a aprovechar estos programas como espacios de lucha para revertir el deterioro en la calidad del trabajo. En la parte final se examina la posibilidad de que los sindicatos colombianos procedan en el mismo sentido.Palabras clave: Responsabilidad Social Empresarial, sindicatos, relaciones laborales, Trabajadores, globalización AbstractUnions and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in Colombian Post Conflict: An Opportunity for Social Dialogue? This paper deals with the analysis of discourses and practices of corporate social responsibility (CSR) regarding labor policies and collective bargaining in firms. After defining CSR as part of trends and current globalization processes, an overview is presented of trade union actions that in different national contexts are oriented to take advantage of these programs as sites of struggle to reverse work quality pauperization. In the final section of the paper, there is an examination of the possibility that Colombian unions can proceed in the same direction.Keywords: corporate social responsibility, unions, labor relations, workers, globalization

Download Full-text

Pension fund management: a trade union commitment to greater corporate social responsibility

Transfer European Review of Labour and Research ◽

10.1177/102425890401000310 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 452-467

Author(s):

Henri Lourdelle

Keyword(s):

Sustainable Development ◽

Corporate Social Responsibility ◽

Social Responsibility ◽

Trade Union ◽

Trade Unions ◽

Investment Strategies ◽

Occupational Pension ◽

Responsible Investment ◽

Trade Union Movement ◽

Corporate Social

Corporate social responsibility (CSR), in association with sustainable development, has become a live issue over the past few years. Should companies be allowed to do whatever they like in the name of competitiveness, even at the risk of compromising the future of the planet? What means does the trade union movement currently have at its disposal to influence corporate conduct in the direction of sustainable development and social responsibility? Over and above traditional trade union activities, the unions have available to them a tool, namely the funds which they manage – or jointly manage – in connection with occupational pension or employee savings schemes. By having their say in the investment strategies of these funds, trade unions can make decisions that affect corporate conduct. This is what is now known as socially responsible investment (SRI). This article sets out to explore the issue, demonstrating how we have moved on from what was initially a moral, ethical approach, geared mainly towards ‘exclusion', to a more incentive-based approach seeking to encourage companies whose conduct is more ‘responsible'. In other words, we shall show that occupational pension funds can in fact become a new weapon in the trade union armoury.

Download Full-text