Category

Social dialogue

Apr 13
0

Social Dialogue in times of crisis: Finding better solutions

By | Belgium, Brazil, Case-study, Chile, Czech Republic, Ghana, Honduras, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, Niger, Panama, Peru, Poland, Singapore, Social dialogue, South Africa, Sweden, United States

This paper looks at past economic crises to identify lessons that can be learned from industrial relations developments in different regions and varying circumstances. The paper describes the development of social dialogue in the early period of the current crisis in order to inform the reader about the forms and content of crisis-related social dialogue in different parts of the world and to provide national examples. It concludes by suggesting policy options. The paper also contains tables of national and enterprise-level cases documenting the role of social dialogue and industrial relations in addressing the employment impact of the crisis.

 

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Apr 13
0

Social Dialogue at Enterprise Level. Successful Experiences

By | Bangladesh, Case-study, Nepal, Pakistan, Social dialogue, Sri Lanka

One of the main challenges that Asian countries are facing, and will continue to face in the coming years, is the need to adjust their economic and social systems in accordance with the process of globalization. This process cannot be managed equitably and efficiently without social dialogue among the main stakeholders. From the ILO’s perspective, tripartism and social dialogue are integral components of decent work and essential channels for achieving it. As stated by the ILO Director General “cohesive tripartism is the ILO’s bedrock”. The main goal of social dialogue is to promote consensus building and democratic involvement among the main stakeholders in key aspects relating to the work environment. The objective of this publication is to introduce concepts of social dialogue at the workplace, enumerate enabling conditions for social dialogue to work effectively, and demonstrate positive features of social dialogue with empirical studies.

 

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Apr 13
0

Paying a Living Wage: a Guide for Companies

By | Guide, Kenya, Social dialogue

Introduction

As a company owner, you want your employees to earn enough to make a decent living so they can provide for themselves and their families. Sounds obvious, right? Well, not always. When you do business in developing countries or emerging markets, this may not be so easy to achieve. In many of these countries, the vast majority of workers and their families struggle to survive on wages that are not sufficient to cover their daily subsistence needs. How can you contribute towards improving this situation and work towards living wages? This brochure will help you get started.

 

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Apr 13
0

Progress and Potential: How Better Work is improving garment workers’ lives and boosting factory competitiveness

By | Social dialogue

To further understand the impact of its work, the Better Work Programme commissioned Tufts University to conduct an independent impact assessment. Since the programme’s inception, Tufts’ interdisciplinary research team has gathered and analysed nearly 15,000 survey responses from garment workers and 2,000 responses from factory managers in Haiti, Indonesia, Jordan, Nicaragua and Vietnam.

The analysis of these responses represents an in-depth evaluation of Better Work’s effectiveness in changing workers’ lives and boosting factory competitiveness. The researchers used different experimental strategies to evaluate the impact of the programme. These included a strategy to isolate the impact of the programme using randomised intervals of time – reflecting factories’ different periods of exposure to Better Work services – as well as a randomised controlled trial to evaluate the impact of the supervisory skills training.

By capturing this unique set of data and by establishing a rigorous analytical framework and methodology, the researchers were able to test – often for the first time – hypotheses on multiple issues including human resource management strategies, firm organization and global supply chain dynamics. Their assessment is an invaluable contribution to the world’s understanding of labour in global supply chains.

 

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Apr 13
0

Eliminating the worst forms of child labour

By | Guide, Social dialogue

Eliminating the worst forms of child labour involves a sustained combat that goes much beyond legislating: it presupposes a vision of society and of development. To be effective and sustainable, any action aimed at prohibiting and eliminating the worst forms of child labour should be inspired on the one hand by an awareness of the complexity of the economic, social and cultural issues involved; and on the other by practices that have proved effective. This Handbook aims at providing inspiration and guidance to this effect.

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Apr 13
0

Social Dialogue as a Means of Enhancing Productivity and Quality of Work Life: A Case Study of the Maha Oya Group of the Bogawantalawa Plantations Company

By | Case-study, Social dialogue

Perspectives on Productivity Improvement

The productivity improvement movement has a long history having had its beginnings with the work simplification practices advocated by F.W. Taylor under the famous ‘scientific management principles’. Since then there has been an
increasing attention on evolving various approaches and strategies to enhance productivity, and more particularly labour productivity, at the enterprise level. The Asian Productivity Organisation, a regional organisation established in 1961, to
support productivity promotion efforts in the Asian countries, has identified two generic approaches to productivity improvement: socio-cultural and technoeconomic. The socio-cultural approach deals with such matters as moral values
of a society and work ethics, while the techno-economic approach deals with more enterprise-specific factors such as industrial relations, human resource development, financial analysis and in-house entrepreneurship (APO 1989; 1998). Moving a step further, management writers have identified more specific approaches to productivity improvement planning at the enterprise level. These include work simplification, mechanisation, automation, facilities improvement,
better planning and scheduling of work, more efficient use of manpower and employee participation and involvement (Armstrong 1990).

 

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Apr 12
0

Assessment of the complaints mechanism for Cambodian migrant workers

By | Cambodia, Social dialogue

Foreword

Labour migration provides an opportunity to earn higher incomes and upgrade knowledge and skills. However, without effective protection measures these potential benefits of migration cannot be harnessed. For Cambodian migrant workers who face problems, either during the recruitment process, while working abroad or after returning home, access to an effective complaint mechanism is critical. The timely resolution of a grievance can be the difference between a worker returning to Cambodia with confidence in their ongoing financial and occupational security, or returning without access to restitution where harm has been suffered, or a burden of debt that cannot be repaid. This report is the first assessment of the efficacy of the complaints mechanism available to migrant workers, and explores the complexities facing workers and authorities when a complaint is lodged. Assessment of the Complaints Mechanism for Cambodian Migrant Workers presents the results of an assessment that considered the legislation and policy governing migrant worker complaints and the experiences of migrant workers and authorities in navigating the complaints system. This report provides important context regarding the challenges that arise during the complaints process, prompting recommendations to strengthen the system.

The assessment finds that the legislative framework launched in December 2013 to enable complaints has provided migrant workers a clear avenue and process for lodging complaints and receiving compensation. The assessment finds that there has been considerable use of the complaints mechanism by migrant workers and that staff from the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training (MOLVT), Provincial Departments of Labour and Vocational Training (PDOLVT), Migrant Worker Resource Centres (MRCs), trade unions and service providers have demonstrated strong commitment to pursuing migrant workers’ right to justice through the dispute resolution process. The assessment also reveals inconsistencies in the implementation of these processes, and provides recommendations to address these gaps.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) Tripartite Action to Protect Migrant Workers within and from the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS TRIANGLE project) has supported labour migration governance in Cambodia through improving policy legislation, capacity building of stakeholders, and support to migrant workers, including in the receipt and resolution of complaints. This assessment of the complaints mechanism will contribute to improving migration governance in Cambodia by initiating analysis and beginning an evidenced-based discussion on the complaints process with stakeholders.

The ILO is grateful for the support for this assessment from its partners, in the research and validation of this report. The ILO would like to acknowledge the MOLVT, the PDOLVTs, and MRCs in Prey Veng, Kampong Cham and Battambang, as well as Legal Support for Children and Women and the National Union Alliance Chambers of Cambodia for their role in facilitating the complaints mechanism, and beginning to examine how this process can enable greater access to justice for Cambodia’s migrant workers.

Maurizio Bussi
Officer-in-Charge
ILO Country Office for Thailand, Cambodia and Lao People’s Democratic Republic

 

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Apr 12
0

Good practices on the role of trade unions in protecting and promoting the rights of migrant workers in Asia

By | Cambodia, Malaysia, Social dialogue, Thailand

Preface

Tripartite Action to Protect Migrant Workers within and from the Greater Mekong Subregion from Labour Exploitation (the GMS TRIANGLE project) and Tripartite Action for the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers in the ASEAN Region (ASEAN TRIANGLE project) are working with trade unions in countries of origin and destination within ASEAN to enhance their role in promoting and protecting the rights of migrant workers.

Trade unions in countries of origin and destination have important roles to play in providing protection to migrant workers. There are many instances where trade unions in the Asia and Pacific region have been proactive in promoting a rights-based migration policy by participating in legislative reform processes; engaging in bilateral and regional cooperation between trade unions in sending and receiving countries; building trade unions’ capacity to respond to migrant worker issues through education and training; and reaching out to migrant workers by providing support services. Through this broad scope of actions, trade unions in the region are increasingly able to successfully represent the rights and interests of migrant workers in the enterprise, in the community and in policy dialogue.

This report documents selected good practices of trade union actions taken place in Cambodia, Hong Kong (China), Indonesia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Republic of Korea, Taiwan, China, Thailand, and Viet Nam. The activities outlined in this report have been conducted with the International Labour Organization (ILO), through ILO technical cooperation on labour migration and with technical support from the Bureau for Workers’ Activities (ACTRAV). Some cases independent of ILO technical assistance are included in the report for the purpose of
information sharing. By sharing these practices among trade union partners and other organizations, the report aims to encourage their replication; and in doing so, highlight the relevance of trade unions and further advance their role in the effective governance of labour migration.

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Apr 12
0

The practice of social dialogue in the Readymade Garment factories in Bangladesh

By | Bangladesh, Case-study, Social dialogue

Abstract

Corporations have increasingly turned to CSR-initiatives in order to monitor workers’ rights and responsibilities in global supply chains. This article argues that in order for these CSR- initiatives to succeed in enabling workers’ voice at the workplace, the shared benefits of the practice must be realized by all stakeholders. In this article, H&M’s social dialogue project in Bangladesh has been analyzed through the lens of social practice theory identifying three crucial elements which must exist or be created, linked and sustained in order to produce behaviour change, which in this case is social dialogue between factory workers and factory management. This article argues that H&M’s social dialogue project has all the essential elements and objectives to increase workers’ voice and improve industrial relations. It also points out the importance of not viewing bipartite social dialogue as the end goal. Instead, H&M’s implementation of bipartite social dialogue at their suppliers’ factories should serve as the stepping stone toward tripartite social dialogue where trade unions can empower workers in the readymade garment-sector. The trade unions have the unique right to bargain collectively and if corporations truly want to ensure workers’ rights, they must promote increased union activity in the industry. This research describes the key activities, training methodology, objectives and expected outcomes of H&M’s social dialogue project followed by an analysis of workers employed in Bangladeshi readymade garment-sector experiences, attitudes and associations to social dialogue. By analysing workers’ associations to social dialogue and H&M’s objectives of the social dialogue project, certain conditions have been identified as crucial in order to enable efficient social dialogue at the workplace.

 

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Apr 12
0

FWF Wage Ladder Tool User Guide

By | Social dialogue

Wage Ladder Basics

A basic graphic can be created in 15 easy steps, which are outlined in this guide.

Benchmarks

The FWF Wage Ladder is preloaded with benchmark data on  the following key countries: Bangladesh, Belarus, Bulgaria, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Macedonia,  Morocco, Pakistan, Portugal, Romania, Sri Lanka, Thailand,  Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine and Vietnam.

For these and all other countries, you may enter your own benchmarks.

Currencies

For the ‘active’ countries, benchmarks can be created using local currencies. For all other countries, benchmarks will need to be valued in US Dollars.

The free, basic version of the FWF Wage Ladder allows users to export, but not save, wage ladder data.

 

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