Corporate hypocrisy: violations of trade union rights by european multinational companies in the United States

AutorLance Compa
CargoSenior Lecturer Labor relations, and History IRL School Cornell University
Páginas15-32
Revista Derecho Social y Empresa nº 4, Diciembre 2015
ISSN: 2341-135X págs.15-32
CORPORATE HYPOCRISY: VIOLATIONS OF TRADE
UNION RIGHTS BY EUROPEAN MULTINATIONAL
COMPANIES IN THE UNITED STATES
LANCE COMPA
Senior Lecturer Labor relations, and History
IRL School Cornell University
Fecha de recepción: 24-09-2015
Fecha de aceptación: 16-10-2015
SUMARIO: 1. INTRODUCTION. 2. CASE STUDIES. 2.1 Deutsche
Telecom. 2.2 Sodexo. 2.3 Kongsberg Automotive. 2.4 Gamma Holding. 3. SOME
POSITIVE DEVELOPMENTS. 4. CONCLUSION.
RESUMEN: A pesar de declarar públicamente su respeto a las normas
internacionales sobre libertad sindical, muchas empresas europeas adoptan actitudes
americanas en lo que respecta a la relación con los sindicatos. Amparándose en normas
laborales, contravienen las normas internacionales (OIT, Naciones Unidas, OCDE) e
interfieren en la actuación sindical. En este estudio se recogen algunos casos que
reflejan ejemplos de una actitud antisindical solapada por parte de las empresas
europeas. Por el contrario, algunas empresas europeas ubicadas en Estados Unidos han
optado por respetar los derechos de organización de los trabajadores. La conclusión
contiene recomendaciones para asegurar el respeto de la libertad de asociación a los
trabajadores de las empresas multinacionales en los Estados Unidos, incluida la
aplicación de las normas fundamentales de la OIT, los Principios Rectores de
Naciones Unidas, las Directrices de la OCDE , y los Acuerdos Marco Globales.
ABSTRACT: Many European corporations adopt American management-style
attitudes toward trade unions, notwithstanding their publicly-declared support for
global norms on workers’ freedom of association. They exploit US labor laws that
violate international standards and interfere with trade union formation. Case studies
examine several examples of this anti-union hypocrisy on the part of European firms.
At the same time, some European companies have chosen to respect workers’
Lance Compa
Revista Derecho Social y Empresa nº 4, Diciembre 2015
ISSN: 2341-135X pág. [16]
organizing rights in the United States. The conclusion contains recommendations for
securing multinational companies’ respect for workers’ freedom of association in the
United States, including application of ILO core standards, UN Guiding Principles,
OECD Guidelines, and Global Framework Agreements.
PALABRAS CLAVE: ormas internacionales de trabajo, libertad de asociación,
derechos laborales, derechos de los trabajadores, sindicatos.
KEYWORDS: International labour standards, freedom of association, labour
rights, workers’ rights, trade unions.
1. INTRODUCTION
European firms invest in the United States because of its huge industrial and
consumer markets, productive workers, interstate highways, access to capital, world-
class universities, high-technology capacity, functioning legal system that enforces
property rights and commercial contracts, political stability, and other favorable
institutional structures. But other features of the American system offer a more sinister
incentive.
The United States provides a hyper-flexible labor market for foreign corporations.
In most countries, employers must demonstrate “just cause” to dismiss an employee.
But the prevailing doctrine in US law is the “at-will” rule allowing employers to
dismiss staff at any moment and for any reason – including “a good reason, a bad
reason, or no reason at all” – as long as it is not a reason prohibited by law.
Here is how one prominent US law firm describes the difference:
Employment-at-will offers American employers broad freedom to cut
their staff’s terms and conditions of employment, work hours, employee
benefits—even compensation . . . Indeed, American bosses exercise this
freedom regularly. . . . These cuts are perfectly legal . . . because . . . US law
imposes no doctrine of acquired employment rights that constrain employers

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