Global Collective Agreements

Global collective agreements (GCAs) are agreements negotiated between multinational enterprises (MNEs) and global union federations (GUFs), with the primary objectives of securing minimum standards in all of a MNE’s worldwide operations and developing good industrial relations in both the MNE and its suppliers. Despite variations in their content, all GCAs are built around core labour standards, such as freedom of association and the right to bargain collectively. The aim of the project is to understand 1) whether GCAs can be included within an international concept of collective agreement, 2) their relation to traditional corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, and 3) analyse their impact in the improvement of labour standards throughout a MNE’s supply chain.