Latest News
OECD Watch Quarterly Case Update Summer 2009 out now
29 June 2009
A new OECD Watch Quarterly Case Update is out now. OECD Watch is an international network of civil society organisations promoting corporate accountability. The purpose of OECD Watch is to inform the wider NGO community about policies and activities of the OECD's Investment Committee and to test the effectiveness of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.
76 trade unionists murdered around the world in 2008
23 June 2009
2008 was another difficult and often dangerous year for trade unionists around the world, according to this year's ITUC Annual Survey of Trade Union Rights Violations, which details abuses of fundamental workers' rights in 143 countries. 76 trade unionists were killed due to their actions to defend workers' rights, and many more were attacked physically or subjected to harassment, intimidation or arrest by the authorities.
How does HP treat its agency workers?
23 June 2009
Hundreds of people are set to lose their jobs after Hewlett-Packard announced it is to shed workers from its Erskine site in the united Kingdom. HP plans to close manufacturing operations at the site and transfer work to the Czech Republic. Reportedly, 843 workers will be affected, of whom 70 are permanent HP staff and 773 employees of HP manufacturing partner Manpower. In HP's view, only the HP staff are entitled to redundancy or notice pay. Labour activists are protesting this stand.
Frame of reference for responsible business in South Asia
23 June 2009
This report aims to promote responsible practices among businesses operating in the South Asian region, in alignment with the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The report suggests that respect for the human rights of all stakeholders should be at the core of Responsible Business Practice (RBP). It identifies a responsible enterprise as one, which minimises the negative impact and maximises the positive impact of its operations to protect human rights of stakeholders within its sphere of influence and on the environment.
Labour Rights in Global Production Networks. An Analysis of the Apparel and Electronics Sector in Romania
23 June 2009
This report analyses how global production networks are configured and how the incorporation of firms into these networks impacts on the position of workers and their rights. The apparel and electronics sector in Romania provide the empirical lens to study these questions taking into account broader dynamics in the CEE region. Despite important differences both sectors have been increasingly organised in global production networks, with a global and a regional dimension, involve labour-intensive production steps which have been relocated to countries with lower labour costs and exhibit some similar industry dynamics such as high-competition and ‘fast fashion’-principles as well as labour rights issues. The strategies of lead firms such as H&M and Zara or Hewlett Packard, Dell and Nokia as well as of powerful first-tier suppliers such as Li & Fung in the apparel and Flextronics in the electronics sector aptly illustrate these dynamics.
