Abstract
In view of the current proliferation of instruments of corporate social responsibility (CSR), the mechanism seen as the most advanced for protecting employees' rights is the negotiation of international framework agreements (IFA). Such agreements, signed between a Global Union Federation and a multinational company, seek to ensure recognition of certain fundamental social rights in all operations of the enterprise at international level. This article analyzes two cases involving North American companies that have ratified such agreements and seeks to highlight the contribution of this instrument to the social regulation of multinational enterprises, but also to shed some light on the conditions for effectiveness of such agreements while stressing their limitations. The two studied cases demonstrate in this respect that the usefulness of IFA rests, above all, on their appropriation by trade union actors. Finally, the study emphasizes the importance for trade union representatives of the same multinational enterprise to join forces in international alliances or coalitions in order to follow up on these agreements and ensure their implementation at the local level.
Keywords:
Labor rights; Transnational syndicalism; Multinational companies; Corporate Social Responsibility