TUAC - TRADE UNION ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO THE OECD

18/12/2012

In December 2012, TUAC published a new Trade Union Guide to the revised OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. The Guide explains the responsibility of MNEs under the Guidelines, identifying significant new concepts that trade unions can use to defend workers' rights and improve living and working conditions. It also describes the functioning of the unique government-backed complaints mechanism, providing a check-list for trade unions submitting complaints.    

The OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises are recommendations made by 44 governments on the standard of business behaviour that is expected of multinational enterprises (MNEs) throughout their global operations. First adopted in 1976, the Guidelines were significantly improved in the most recent update in 2011 including through the:

- addition of a new human rights chapter;

- inclusion of a general recommendation to conduct due diligence to avoid and address adverse impacts on matters covered by the Guidelines;

- clarification that the Guidelines apply to supply chains and other business relationships;

- broadening of the scope of the employment chapter to include workers in indirect employment relationships;

- introduction of stronger rules governing the government-backed complaints mechanism.

The Trade Union Guide is currently available in English and will soon be available in French, German and Spanish.  Hard copies can be ordered from TUAC: tuac@tuac.org