Global Framework Agreements ILO/ACTRAV Course A Turin, Italy November 2006 Colin Medland UNI Policy Officer

Global Framework Agreements What is a Global Framework Agreement? Does it replace local collective contracts?

UNI’s 12 Agreements… Carrefour Euradius Falck H&M ISS Metro Nampak OTE Portugal Telecom Securitas Telefónica UPU With more to come….

GFA’s in other Global Unions There are more GFA’s in existence….with other GUF’s BWI IKEA (FURNITURE, SWEDEN) FABER-CASTELL (PENCILS, GERMANY) HOCHTIEF (CONSTRUCTION, GERMANY) SKANSKA (CONSTRUCTION, SWEDEN) BALLAST NEDAM (CONSTRUCTION, HOLLAND) IMF MERLONI ELETTRODOMESTICI VOLKSWAGEN DAIMLERCHRYSLER LEONI GEA SKF RHEINMETALL IUF ACCOR DANONE CHIQUITA FONTERRA CLUB MEDITERRANEE ICEM STATOIL FREUDENBERG ENDESA NORSKE SKOG ANGLOGOLD ENI

Whats the benefit of a GFA to the company? Whats the benefit to the Trade Union Movement as a whole? Benefits of a GFA

The Process… Who starts the process ? Initiation Request from UNI affiliates (i.e YOU !) UNI Alliances UNI Headquarters European Works Councils (EWC’s) What happens next ?

The Process… Then Negotiations take place between… The Company UNI Headquarters UNI Affiliates EWC’s/UNI Alliances (if involved) Agreements : Local Company = Local Agreement National Company = National Agreement Global Company = Global Agreement

The Process… Training & Information Monitoring of Agreement Process for Disagreements with Company

GFA Content… Important that ILO Conventions are included… 87 - Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, Hours of Work (Industry) Convention, Forced Labour Convention, Forty-Hour Week Convention, Labour Clauses (Public Contracts) Convention, Protection of Wages Convention, Equal Remuneration Convention, Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, Final Articles Revision Convention, Minimum Wage Fixing Convention, Workers' Representatives Convention, Minimum Age Convention, Occupational Safety and Health Convention, Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999

Where has GFA’s been useful… Real Successes of the GFA are difficult to prove… Global Agreements for UNI are still new… and we are still learning… What are these hidden successes likely to be ?

Examples of Positive Action… Example 1 – UNI’s Telefónica GFA Brazil – SINTETEL used the GFA to increase membership significantly. Telefonica owns large call centre business and were trying hard to keep out unions and stop unionisation SINTETEL used the agreement to organise members without the company opposing them, referring to the agreements clauses on ILO Conventions. The union now has over 120,000 members compared with 25,000 members prior to the GFA being signed. Not all members were as a direct result, but a “Springboard effect” took place where call centre workers joined the union.

Examples of Positive Action… Example 2 – UNI’s Telefónica GFA The union in Chile were were bargaining for a new collective contract. Company not doing well due to Chilean regulations hindering business. Company announced lay-off’s would be imminent The negotiations broke down. The workers reported the situation to UNI UNI used the Telefónica Agreement to persuade the company to go back to the negotiation table (clause on bargaining in good faith). The negotiations eventually resumed. This helped reduce the lay-off’s to a minimum and kept ensured communications lines remained open.

Examples of Positive Action… Example 3 – UNI’s Carrefour GFA The union in Korea had problems with management for a long time. Collective Bargaining Negotiations were at a stand still. UNI Commerce intervened, with the help of the GFA. Positive regular consultations with management at headquarters level contributed to the resolution of the problems and negotiations to recommence.

Examples of Positive Action… The Joint Approach with GUF’s UNI has no joint GFA’s with other GUF’s at present. This doesn’t mean that GUF’s do not talk to each other and collaborate on issues. An example of a joint approach emerged with the BWI with the problems in printing company Quebecor. UNI and BWI got together to resolve the problems. BWI have a GFA with IKEA, which uses Quebecor to print their catalogues (The worlds biggest print contract) Using the GFA in a tactical way enabled us to get IKEA to put pressure on Quebecor to respect basic ILO rights. As a result of the pressure from IKEA (their biggest customer) Quebecor finally agreed to meet with UNI.

Global Framework Agreements For more information contact :- Colin Medland / Neil Anderson at UNI Headquarters