Cross-border social dialogue and agreements : an emerging global industrial relations framework?

Globalization has generated a mismatch between the scope of the activities of global actors (such as multinational enterprises, or MNEs), which is increasingly transnational, and that of social actors (such as trade unions, social movements, nongovernmental organizations and consumers' organizations), which remains largely embedded at national level. In response to this mismatch and in the absence of a state-driven multilateral framework, numerous private initiatives have appeared. International framework agreements (IFAs) have been one response. IFAs are the outcome of negotiations between individual MNEs and global union federations. IFAs aim to establish ongoing relationships between MNEs and such federations, for the benefit of both parties. They are intended to promote principles of labour relations and conditions of work - notably in the area of freedom of association and collective bargaining- and to organize a common labour relations framework at cross-border level.