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Global Forum on Workplace Compliance

Economic and Social Councils adopt declaration to promote workplace compliance

An international meeting in The Hague on workplace compliance concludes with a course of action for national social dialogue institutions.

Press release | 30 October 2015
THE HAGUE — Representatives from Economic and Social Councils and other Similar Institutions (ESC-SIs) have adopted a Declaration in order to promote workplace compliance, including in global supply chains (GSCs).

After reiterating the importance of the Fundamental Principles on which the ILO was founded, ESCs have, among other commitments, affirmed to:
  • Reinforce their actions at national level on this important matter;
  • Further engage in the national debate on promoting workplace compliance including in global supply chains;
  • Mobilize all available resources towards addressing the issue of workplace compliance;
  • Enhance the role and capacity of their members especially the social partners;
  • Cooperate with enforcement agencies and national and international organisations of employers and workers to strengthen their role and capacity to promote workplace compliance.
For its part, the ESC global body, the International Association of Economic and Social Councils and Similar Institutions (AICESIS), proposed to facilitate exchanges of information and good practices between national bodies, follow up with specific initiatives to reinforce ESC-SIs capacity at the country level and document effective cooperation between ESC’s and labour law enforcement institutions.

ESCs requested the ILO to facilitate the exchange of experiences amongst tripartite constituents on the formulation and implementation of integrated workplace compliance strategies, analyse the trends on workplace compliance in the world and in global supply chains, and offer expertise to help ESCs to formulate strategies aimed at strengthening their capacity on this issue.

At issue before the conference was the enormous challenge that increasingly complex supply chains present for regulatory agencies. ESC – SIs have an important role in addressing this challenge, as social-dialogue platforms that bring together government, employers’ and workers’ representatives and other stakeholders, to discuss relevant matters related to the world of work and beyond. They also play an important part in securing working conditions in accordance with national law, respect for Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, International Labour Standards, and applicable collective agreements at the workplace.

The conference, Promoting Workplace Compliance including in Global Supply Chains: The role of Economic and Social Councils and similar social dialogue institutions, was organized jointly by the AICESIS-ILO in collaboration with The Economic and Social Council of the Netherlands on 29-30 October 2015 in The Hague.

The Conference welcomed Nobel Peace Prize winners – two social partners (Union Générale Tunisienne du Travail and Union Tunisienne de l'Industrie, du Commerce et de l'Artisanat) from amongst the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet. Also attending were representatives from many international organizations including the World Bank and the OECD, the International Trade Union Confederation, the International Employer Organization, UN Global Compact and others.

It is anticipated that the debates and outcomes of this two-day event will serve as a useful input for the preparatory work the Office is undertaking in view of the International Labour Conference general discussion on “Decent Work in Global Supply Chains” in 2016.