• The Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy includes a "procedure for the examination of disputes concerning the application of the tripartite declaration". I would like to know if this procedure is actually used to solve disagreements and if so, what kinds of disputes are treated.

About the MNE Declaration

Question: The Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy includes a "procedure for the examination of disputes concerning the application of the tripartite declaration". I would like to know if this procedure is actually used to solve disagreements and if so, what kinds of disputes are treated.

Answer: As a voluntary tool, the MNE Declaration Dispute Procedure is promotional in nature. The procedure is used to interpret the provisions of the Declaration when needed to resolve a disagreement on their meaning, arising from an actual situation, between parties to whom the Declaration is commended.

Of 21 requests received, five cases have been the subjects of decisions by the Governing Body. Two were submitted by a government, and three by international organizations of workers on behalf of representative national affiliates. Four of the cases were found receivable, two unanimously (GB. 229/13/13 and GB.239/14/24/appendix) and the other two by majority decisions (GB.272/6 and preceding documents on which the discussion is based and GB.264/MNE/2). The fifth case was declared non-receivable, GB.254/MNE/4/6, and did not reach the interpretation stage. In four cases, substantive interpretations have been issued.

One case concerned paid leave for a union official to attend training on safety and health and three concerned collective dismissal.