ILO to check role of global firms

ILO to check role of global firms

JAKARTA: Government, employer, and labor representatives from
eight ASEAN nations are to meet in Jakarta to discuss how
multinationals could improve working conditions in the region,
the International Labor Organization says.

The two-day meeting to promote the principles of the ILO's
Multinational Enterprise Declaration (MNE Declaration) in eight
ASEAN member countries will be held from April 11.

Multinational enterprises had steadily increased their
presence in ASEAN economies since the 1980s, the ILO said. They
had provided sizable opportunities in manufacturing employment,
especially for women, and had contributed to development of human
capital in ASEAN economies.

"However, some challenges remain," the ILO said. More
employment in multinational enterprises was related to the export
sector, leaving employees of such firms with little job security
if cheaper labor was found elsewhere.

The MNE Declaration, which was adopted in 1997 and revised in
2000, is a set of guidelines for voluntary action on labor issues
based on universal standards. The main aim is to encourage the
positive contribution of multinational firms to economic and
social progress in the societies they are based. --JP