Labour Standards 

Principle 3: Businesses should uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining;

Principle 4: the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labour;

Principle 5: the effective abolition of child labour; and

Principle 6: the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.

Labour standards  are relevant domestically and internationally. Many signatories are working hard to help reduce the incidence of exploitation in the developing world. Any business which relies on suppliers or subsidiaries in the developing world has a responsibility to ensure that the workers in those countries have decent working conditions and are not coerced into working. 

Signatory Examples  

Sustainable Living Fabrics audits all suppliers to ensure compliance with International Labour Organisation guidelines on fair work practices. They then go beyond this and work with those suppliers that fail to meet these standards until working conditions sufficiently improve. Applying strict standards and then backing them up with action is one of the only ways that businesses can change the employment practices of suppliers for the better. More information can be found on their website or download the case study. 

Allens Arthur Robinson is showing a commitment to ensuring equality in the workplace by facilitating the promotion and development of women at all levels of the organisation. The Women at Allens Career Progression Project has been developed to increase the ratio of women who make partner. It does this through networking, a mentoring program and support mechanisms. This program also relates to Principle 1 of the UN Global Compact by upholding the rights of women to equality in the workplace. The low proportion of women in senior positions is one area that many Australian businesses can improve on. More information can be found in their COP here. 

We are currently in the process of growing these pages in order to highlight all of the actions being taken by Australian signatories. If you would like to share what your business is doing to implement the principles of the UN Global Compact contact us at the Centre.

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ILO Help Desk

The ILO Helpdesk is a free and confidential service that can help your company align its operations with international labour standards and the ILO approach to socially responsible labour practices.

Contact: assistance@ilo.org

The Labour Principles of the UN Global Compact - A Guide for Business

The purpose of this guide is to increase the understanding of the four labour
principles as well as to provide an inventory of key resources to help integrate
these principles into business operations.

     Labour Principles of the UN Global Compact - A Guide for Business