Industrial relations - Global strategy

Overview

The concept of industrial relations (also known as "labour relations") relates to employer-employee relations when employees are represented by an employee representative body, such as a trade union (also known as "labour unions") or works council. The employer may be required to negotiate with the relevant body or bodies regarding issues that affect the employees, such as pay, working conditions and health and safety, and inform and consult with employees prior to taking key decisions. Where disputes are not resolved, employees may have the right to take industrial action, depending on the applicable legal framework.

A clear industrial relations strategy allows multinational employers to proactively manage and mitigate labour risks, foster productive relationships with employees and their representatives across jurisdictions, respond to collective labour issues and align local practices with global business objectives. In this guide, we explore the different factors multinational employers need to consider when establishing a global strategy for handling industrial relations, as well as the global, regional and country guidelines and principles that may be at play. We also consider the benefits of Global Framework Agreements.

This is the first guide in our series on industrial relations. Other guides in the series are:

• Industrial relations - Employee representation
• Industrial relations - Information, consultation and co-determination
• Industrial relations - Collective bargaining and collective agreements
• Industrial relations - Industrial action and collective disputes