10 February, 2011Swedish affiliate IF Metall has signed an International Framework Agreement with Swedish appliance manufacturer Electrolux on behalf of the IMF.
SWEDEN: On December 13, 2010, IF Metall and Electrolux signed a new International Framework Agreement (IFA).
Linked to the Electrolux Code of Conduct, the IFA references all the ILO core labour standards including Convention 87 on freedom of association and Convention 98 on the right to bargain collectively. Implementation of and compliance with the IFA will be discussed once a year with the employee representatives of the Electrolux Board of Directors in Sweden. In addition, representatives of Swedish confederations LO and PTK will participate in the committee monitoring compliance with the IFA and the company's code of conduct.
In addition to the IFA, the parties made a separate agreement which commits the company to not organize or finance company or 'yellow' unions, to not implement or support any union busting activities and to not adopt any initiatives capable of discouraging workers from forming authentic unions.
Speaking on behalf of IF Metall, Erik Andersson said that the union was particularly pleased with the separate agreement as an important complement to the IFA. He said, "with this IFA and the separate agreement, we will strengthen trade union organization at all Electrolux plants throughout the world. Now, with IMF assistance, we will proceed to build union networks."