Events for ETI Members

ETI Members' Roundtable
Freedom of association and collective bargaining

London, 9 March, 2005

On 9 March 2005, ETI held a roundtable event for its members to discuss how companies can implement ETI Base Code Article 2: ‘Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining are Respected’. Nearly 50 participants attended the roundtable, comprising representatives from NGOs, trade union organisations, the ETI Secretariat and over 20 ETI member companies.

To coincide with this event, the ETI trade union caucus produced a guidance document on freedom of association and collective bargaining (ETI Briefing: Freedom of association and collective bargaining guidance document, March 2005). The document explains what the two rights mean, what typical abuses are, how companies can monitor them and what companies can do to promote them in countries where free and independent trade unions are prohibited by law. We recommend that this roundtable report is read in conjunction with the guidance document.

The report is structured as follows:

• Section 2 explains why respect for the rights of freedom of association and collective bargaining are important, and why we decided to hold a roundtable discussion on the issue;
• Section 3 highlights the main points made in the presentations;
• Section 4 summarises discussions around key challenges for companies in implementing this Base Code article; and
• Section 5 provides sources of further information.

 

 

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See also:

ETI Resources: Issues: FOA & Collective Bargaining: FOA & Collective Bargaining Briefing (March 2005)

ETI Events: Member roundtables