10 October, 2007CNM/CUT and CNTM/FS to monitor conditions at suppliers of multinationals with IFAs and approach leading Brazilian multinationals about signing an IFA.
BRAZIL: IMF director of union building, Fernando Lopes, met representatives of multinational companies in Brazil that have signed International Framework Agreements (IFAs) in São Paulo, on October 1- 2.
The meeting discussed how these agreements are being implemented by the companies. In addition, the IMF-affiliated metalworkers' confederations of the two union centrals, CNM/CUT and CNTM/FS, signed a cooperation agreement to monitor conditions at the suppliers of multinational companies with IFAs. Suppliers of these companies have a contractual obligation to comply with all the provisions of these agreements.
Twelve foreign companies operating in Brazil have signed IFAs, in which they agree to respect human rights and core International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conventions. Companies and their suppliers who want to be seen as "socially responsible" must take steps to ensure, for example, that they do not:
- use child labour (ILO Convention 138)
- use slave or forced labour (ILO Conventions 29 and 105)
- discriminate on the basis of gender, race, religion, nationality, physical condition, age or sexual orientation (ILO Convention 111)
- hinder freedom of association and collective bargaining (ILO Conventions 87, 98, 135)
At the meeting CNM/CUT and CNTM/FS also agreed to work together in approaching six Brazilian multinational companies about signing an IFA with the IMF.