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