27 February 2025
The Global Deal convened a webinar featuring key partners to discuss the various forms, levels and possible outcomes of cross-border social dialogue. Starting with a presentation of the recently released ILO Repository of Knowledge of Cross-Border Social Dialogue, panelists explored strategies for fostering social dialogue across borders, including through global framework agreements and multi-company theme agreements, such as the International Accord.
The discussions underscored how cross-border social dialogue processes and initiatives can provide a framework to advance the fundamental principles and rights at work, including rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining, both essential preconditions for meaningful social dialogue.
Participants also discussed the importance of consultation with relevant stakeholders, particularly workers’ organisations, throughout the human rights due diligence process. The Global Deal has published a thematic tool to support enterprises in engaging workers’ representatives and trade unions within the 6-step framework of the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Business Conduct. The tool highlights how social dialogue can help identify, prevent, mitigate and monitor actual and potential adverse human and labour rights impacts, enabling the implementation of effective due diligence. This aligns with international frameworks for responsible business conduct, including the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the ILO Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy (MNE Declaration), and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.
Speakers at the event included:
- Andrea Marinucci (ILO), presented the ILO Repository of Knowledge on Cross-border Social Dialogue, which is the most comprehensive database on the subject to date. Developed as an outcome of the 2019 Tripartite Meeting of Experts on Cross-border Social Dialogue, the repository categorises initiatives into four broad types. Andrea emphasized the role of knowledge-sharing platforms in strengthening social dialogue, enabling workers’ and employers’ organisations, along with government representatives, to exchange good practices on how cross-border social dialogue can contribute to decent work and sound labour-management relations.
- Julia del Valle (OECD Centre for Responsible Business Conduct), elaborated on the role of stakeholder engagement in due diligence, specifically how engagement with unions and workers representatives can support effective due diligence on labour and human rights issues. Julia highlighted how OECD guidance sets out clear expectations for engagement, providing companies with a framework which can help them also be prepared for meeting expectations in emerging due diligence legislation. The OECD is also currently undertaking work and activities to promote company-union engagement capacity.
- Ben Richards (UNI Global Union), shared insights on global agreements with multinational companies to enforce workers’ rights, including the International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry. Ben discussed how these agreements are creating due diligence obligations and spaces for collaboration with social partners. He detailed that these agreements can also help to enforce the rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining, for example, through complaints mechanisms set up under the agreements. Ultimately, effective global agreements can, and should, be mutually beneficial for both the workers they cover and the companies engaging with them.
- Melissa Karadana (Ethical Trading Initiative), discussed responsible purchasing practices and the importance of supplier-trade union engagement in countries such as India, Bangladesh, and Türkiye. She highlighted key challenges suppliers face, including order inconsistencies, unrealistic lead times, and unfair pricing pressures, which make their business operations unsustainable in the long term and adversely affect labour rights. Melissa also explained how ETI uses the Common Framework for Responsible Purchasing Practices (CFRPP) to engage with members and emphasised the need for a fundamental shift in how purchasing practices are structured. The draft Purchasing Practices Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) Framework provides guidance, outlining key actions that regulatory bodies should hold companies accountable for in relation to responsible purchasing.
Moving forward, Global Deal partners expressed the need for enhanced social dialogue across borders to create mechanisms on the ground to enforce due diligence obligations and address adverse human and labour rights impacts.
