Global Forum on Workplace Compliance ends

Representatives from Economic and Social Councils and other Similar Institutions (ESC-SIs) have adopted a Declaration to promote workplace compliance, including global supply chains (GSCs) at a two-day conference in The Hague.

After reiterating the importance of the Fundamental Principles on which the International Labour Organization (ILO) was founded, ESCs have, among other commitments, affirmed to reinforce their actions at national level on this important matter.

The representatives also agreed to 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.

An official statement issued by the ILO said the international meeting in The Hague on workplace compliance concludes with a course of action for national social dialogue institutions.

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

It said 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,” it added.

The statement said 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, it added.

The conference was attended by representatives from many international organizations including the World Bank and the OECD, the International Trade Union Confederation, the International Employer Organization, UN Global Compact, among others.

It is anticipated that the debates and outcomes of the 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.

There is a vast legal framework, comprising regulation, legislation, standards and codes of conduct that govern compliance including legal, tax and accounting; workplace and safety laws, regulations and company policies that apply to their day-to-day job responsibilities .

The number and complexity of compliance requirements depends on the business structure, the type of business and the industry