Bargaining for the space to organize in the global economy: a review of the Accor-IUF trade union rights agreement

Abstract At the present conjuncture there are real opportunities for international trade unions to forge coalitions with other social movements, to foster transnational connections between workers, consumers and intermediaries, and to engage directly with global employers in order to bargain for workers. As companies declare their support for ethical practice in production and trade, a number of global union federations have seized the opportunity to sign International Framework Agreements with trans-national companies. These agreements secure commitments on the part of TNCs to respect workers' rights. The agreement between the French-owned global hotel chain Accor and the International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Associations (IUF) is explored in this paper. The Accor—IUF agreement has proved critical in supporting union organizing efforts in the USA, Canada and Indonesia. It has also allowed the IUF close involvement in trade union organization in Australia, in educational activities in Africa and Asia-Pacific, and in efforts to start organizing work in the UK and New Zealand. By integrating the international agreement into the operation of the European Works Council, the IUF has also found a means to overcome the geographical parochialism of many such bodies. This paper argues that such international agreements are an excellent way to defend and advance workers' rights in the global economy while also allowing trade unions to develop a sophisticated multi-scalar response to the challenges of globalization. Keywords: Labour internationalismglobalizationtrade union rightstrans-national corporationsinternational framework agreementscorporate responsibility The research presented in this paper is part of a larger project exploring the future of the trade union movement in the UK, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (grant number R000271020). The research presented in this paper is part of a larger project exploring the future of the trade union movement in the UK, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (grant number R000271020). Notes The research presented in this paper is part of a larger project exploring the future of the trade union movement in the UK, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (grant number R000271020).