Shaping Global Industrial Relations. The impact of International Framework Agreements

In recent years, many multinational enterprises have adopted corporate codes of conduct with social provisions. Increasingly, they are now signing international framework agreements (IFAs) with global unions representing workers by sector of activity. In addition to regulating labour–management relations across global value chains, these agreements aim to promote compliance with ILO core labour standards.

This second volume in the new series Advances in Labour Studies assesses the phenomenon of IFAs, examining their impact around the world as well as their effectiveness in fostering labour-management dialogue. The book brings together the contributions of 15 specialists, both academics and practitioners, covering the 80-plus IFAs that existed in July 2010. Particular attention is paid to the negotiation and implementation of IFAs, and a number of case studies illuminate the managerial motivation behind the adoption of these agreements. The authors evaluate the consequences of IFAs and assess their potential as a model for cross-border industrial relations in the future. Co-published with Palgrave Macmillan.