scholarly journals International framework agreements: new paths to workers' participation in multinationals' governance?

2008 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 111-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabelle Schömann ◽  
André Sobzack ◽  
Eckhard Voss ◽  
Peter Wilke
Keyword(s):  
Trade Unions ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Industrial Relations ◽  
Negotiation Process ◽  
Social Consequences ◽  
Social Regulation ◽  
International Level ◽  
Political Debate ◽  
Labour Standards ◽  
The Impact

This article describes the results of a major study on the impact of codes of conduct and international framework agreements (IFAs) on social regulation at company level. The limits of labour legislation at the national, as well as the international, level provide a strong motivation for both multinationals and trade unions to negotiate and sign IFAs. IFAs offer a way to regulate the social consequences of globalisation and to secure adherence to labour and social standards. They thus form part of the growing political debate on the international working and production standards of private actors. Examination of the negotiation process, the motivations of the parties, and the content of the agreements and implementation measures provides valuable insights into the impact of IFAs on multinationals' behaviour in respect of social dialogue and core labour standards. Finally, the article highlights the influence of such agreements on public policy-making and the limits of private self-regulation at European and international level, addressing the growing and controversial debate on the need for supranational structures to regulate labour standards and industrial relations.

The Early Nineteenth-Century Port of London: Management and Labour in Three Dock Companies, 1800-1825

1994 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony R. Henderson ◽  
Sarah Palmer
Keyword(s):  
Nineteenth Century ◽  
Trade Unions ◽  
Industrial Relations ◽  
Early Nineteenth Century ◽  
Labour Relations ◽  
Labour Process ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Labour Management

This essay addresses the impact of industrialisation on the experience of work during the early 1800s. It presents the idea that industrial relations focused less on trade unions and more on broad labour/management contact and gave a new emphasis to the significance of the labour process. Also featured is a map of The Port of London in the 1830s, which is used as an example for evidence of change within the pre-industrial pattern of management/labour relations.

The Working Class Goes to the Movies: Labour Law and Thatcherism in British Films

Pólemos ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Peruzzi
Keyword(s):  
Industrial Relations ◽  
Social Consequences ◽  
Critical Approach ◽  
Labour Law ◽  
British Perspective ◽  
The Right ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Voice ◽  
Individual Dimension

AbstractThe essay focusses on the employment relationship as a privileged perspective for the analysis of the binomial “power of voices/voices of power.” In such context, the right to strike is presented as a meaningful example of the power stemming from a collective organisation of voices, the voices of the workers, granted as a means to counter-balance the power and the voice of the employer. The analysis highlights the enduring relevance of the British perspective towards the topic, from the liberalist policies fostered by Prime Minister Thatcher in the Eighties until the critical approach recently adopted by the British Government with regard to the protection of the right to strike at international level. British filmography is chosen as a lens for observing such perspective, in particular to the extent it describes the impact of Thatcherism on the British model of industrial relations as well as the economic and social consequences of such political measures in the Nineties. After a general overview, aimed at highlighting common features across the films, like the pivotal role of music and dance in the storyline, the analysis focusses on Billy Elliot, examining the ambiguous relationship between the collective and individual dimension in its narration.

scholarly journals The Impact of the Labour Relations Act on Minority Trade Unions: A South African Perspective

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 284
Author(s):  
Johan Kruger ◽  
Clarence Itumeleng Tshoose
Keyword(s):  
Collective Bargaining ◽  
South African ◽  
Trade Union ◽  
Trade Unions ◽  
Freedom Of Association ◽  
Labour Relations ◽  
Labour Standards ◽  
International Labour Standards ◽  
The Right ◽  
The Impact

The advent of the new political dispensation in 1994 heralded the coming of a new labour dispensation. Labour relations and labour policies changed significantly from that which prevailed under the previous government. The review of the labour legislation framework was at that stage a priority for the new government, with specific focus on the review of the collective bargaining dispensation. The abuse of trade unions under the previous government gave rise to a unique entrenchment of labour rights in the Constitution. The drafters thereof were determined to avoid a repetition of this abuse after 1994. Section 23 of the Constitution goes to great lengths to protect, amongst others, the right to form and join a trade union, the right of every trade union to organise and the right of every trade union to engage in collective bargaining. In furtherance of section 23(5) of the Constitution, the Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995 was promulgated. One of the most significant changes of the LRA was that it now provided for legislated organisational rights. Commentators have often viewed the LRA as favouring larger unions and as conferring clear advantages on unions with majority support at the establishment or industry level.  It is within this context that this article examines the impact of section 18 of the LRA on the constitutionally entrenched right of every person to freedom of association, the right of every trade union to engage in collective bargaining, and the right of every trade union to organise. Furthermore, this article explores the justifiability of the impact of section 18 on minority trade unions in terms of international labour standards and the Constitution. In part one the article examines the concept of majoritarianism, pluralism and industrial unionism in the context of South African Labour market. Part two deals with the impact of section 18 of the LRA on minority Trade Unions. Whilst part three explores the concept of workplace democracy. Part five investigates the applicability of international labour standards in the context of the right to freedom of association. Part four ends up with conclusion and recommendations on the impact of section 18 of the LRA.

scholarly journals Legal Dimensions of International Framework Agreements in the Field of Corporate Social Responsibility

2007 ◽  
Vol 62 (3) ◽  
pp. 466-491 ◽  
Author(s):  
André Sobczak
Keyword(s):  
Legal Framework ◽  
Legal Aspects ◽  
Negotiation Process ◽  
International Negotiation ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Social Regulation ◽  
Labour Law ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Impact

The aim of this article is to offer an in-depth analysis of the different legal aspects of international framework agreements (IFAs) negotiated between multinational companies and global union federations. Using examples from different agreements, the article shows the potential added value IFAs have in contributing to an effective social regulation within international groups and global supply chains that are today regulated insufficiently by national, European and international labour law standards. It also analyses the impact of the international negotiation process of the IFAs and the powers of the signatory parties on the legally binding character of these texts. To conclude, the article discusses the potential added value of an optional legal framework for IFAs.

scholarly journals International actors and trade unions during postsocialism and after: the case of Romania

2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 692-708 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dragoș Adăscăliței ◽  
Ștefan Guga
Keyword(s):  
Labour Market ◽  
Trade Unions ◽  
Industrial Relations ◽  
National Policy ◽  
Economic Transformation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Fiscal Austerity ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Changing Role ◽  
New Evidence

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explain why, in spite having a relatively powerful labour movement at the start of the economic transformation, Romania ended up with a highly deregulated system of industrial relations in the aftermath of the global economic crisis of 2009 and with trade unions which seem incapable to defend their interests. Design/methodology/approach The authors trace the changing role that Romanian trade unions had in national policy making and show that the beginning of 2000s represents a critical point for the power loss sustained by organised labour. Findings The authors argue that a key element for explaining labour’s decline is the growing pressure exercised by various international organisations for the adoption of deregulatory labour market reforms. While during the 1990s this pressure was circumvented by successive governments which peddled back and forth between union wage pressure and fiscal austerity measures, beginning with 2000s, EU accession conditionalities coupled with IMF and World Bank policy recommendations enabled the international deregulation agenda to be implemented without much opposition. Originality/value The paper brings new evidence on the impact of international actors on the Romanian collective bargaining and labour market institutions.

scholarly journals Accident Compensation and Labour Relations: The Impact of Recent Reforms

1970 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Grant Duncan
Keyword(s):  
Trade Unions ◽  
Industrial Relations ◽  
Business Leaders ◽  
Labour Relations ◽  
The Road ◽  
Accident Compensation ◽  
Unique System ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Right ◽  
The Impact

In the context of industrial relations, New Zealand's accident compensation scheme (ACC) is an internationally unique system. Recent reforms have been criticised by trade unions, however. They perceive ACC as a positive benefit of employment obtained for workers as of right in exchange for the extinguishment of the right to sue. Any threat to this is seen as a threat to workers' conditions of employment. The 1992 reforms have been by business leaders, on the other hand, for not going far enough along the road of privatisation and maintaining one of the bastions of welfare dependency. In the light of these tensions, the present article examines the history of the scheme, the current reforms and some implications for the future of ACC.

scholarly journals Unions and Union Membership in New Zealand 1985-1992

1970 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Raymond Harbridge ◽  
Kevin Hince
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Union Membership ◽  
Trade Unions ◽  
Industrial Relations ◽  
Employment Contracts ◽  
The Impact

The Employment Contracts Act 1991 (introduced on 15 May, 1991) abandoned dependence upon registered trade unions, a characteristic of New Zealand industrial relations since 1894. The detail of this change, and of other extensive changes implemented by the Employment Contracts Act, are outlined elsewhere (for example, Anderson, 1991; Boxall, 1991; Harbridge, 1993; Hince and Vranken, 1991 and McAndrew, 1992). This note is specifically concerned with the impact of the Act on the number, size and membership of trade unions. Developments from May 1991 to December 1992 are put in a context with patterns of change emerging in the earlier period, 1985 to 1990.

Incomes Policy and Industrial Relations: Britain, Sweden and Australia

1980 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 453-475 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Wright ◽  
Nixon Apple
Keyword(s):  
Labour Market ◽  
Trade Union ◽  
Trade Unions ◽  
Process Model ◽  
Industrial Relations ◽  
Potential Conflict ◽  
Government Relations ◽  
Incomes Policy ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact

Increasingly, economic debate in Australia and other Western, developed economies is directed to the interdependence and potential conflict between the out come of labour market negotiations and government economic policy. Industrial relations becomes identified as a cause of economic problems and governments have been attracted to policies that seek to alter the outcome of labour market negotia tions, using what are often termed "incomes policies". However, because of the nature of industrial relations, incomes policies which might be established to express government demands also have an influence over the balance of powers and relations within the economy. This dynamic process presents problems for practitioners and academics assessing the full effect of incomes policies. The corporatist model developed by Leo Pantich is one useful model of the changes that can occur in trade union, employer and government relations under incomes policy conditions. Draw ing on the flexibility of such a process model, this article details the development of incomes policies in Britain and Sweden, examining the changing relationships and powers that have occurred when the parties (and especially the trade unions) have responded to the demands such policies make on industrial relations. The differences in trade union reactions to industrial relations adjustment provide lessons and experiences for any economy where the government seeks to direct labour market negotiations. In terms of the impact on trade unions particularly and industrial relations in general, the British and Swedish lessons offer valuable insights for Australia. Examining the dynamic incomes policy effects in Australia, we conclude that only if industrial relations practitioners and trade unionists are aware of the dynamic pressures of intervention and respond in a structured manner can they avoid the traps identified by British experience and benefit from the opportunities offered by Swedish initiatives.

The Impact of the Workplace Relations Act on Regional Patterns of Industrial Relations: The Illawarra Region of Australia, 1996— 2004

2008 ◽  
Vol 50 (5) ◽  
pp. 752-778 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raymond Markey ◽  
Ann Hodgkinson
Keyword(s):  
Trade Unions ◽  
Industrial Relations ◽  
Payment Systems ◽  
Regional Patterns ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Workplace Relations ◽  
The Government ◽  
National Coalition ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Work Choices

Work Choices fundamentally restructured the Australian industrial relations system in 2005, by marginalizing the role of awards and the Australian Industrial Relations Commission, privileging individual contracts and restricting industrial action by trade unions. The Workplace Relations Act 1996 (WRA) represented a significant first step in this direction prior to the Liberal National coalition gaining control of the Senate in 2005. However, there has been no extensive workplace data of the kind produced by the Australian Workplace Relations Survey to take stock of the impact of the WRA. This study undertakes a stocktake of the impact of the WRA for the Illawarra region. It compares data for trade unions, employer associations, forms of employee participation, workplace reductions, industrial disputes and payment systems from the Illawarra Regional Workplace Industrial Relations Survey 1996 with a further survey in 2004. It concludes that while the WRA did impact on the region, the Illawarra nevertheless maintained a distinctive pattern of industrial relations in which the New South Wales State system was more influential. If this provides any indication of the wider impact of the WRA, it offers strong reasons as to why the government proceeded with Work Choices.

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