A new toolkit developed by the International Labour Organization (ILO) will help companies in Thailand’s automotive supply chain understand and apply social dialogue to their operations, strengthening responsible business conduct in the sector.
Social dialogue is defined by the ILO to include all types of negotiation, consultation or exchange of information between, or among, representatives of governments, employers and workers.
A recent ILO report found that social dialogue and representation in the industry required strengthening and that this would help address decent work deficits including discrimination, excessive working time, and lack of training and career progression.
In response, the ILO’s Resilient, Inclusive and Sustainable Supply Chains (RISSC) project in Thailand has developed a practical industry-oriented toolkit to enhance social dialogue between employer and workers at the enterprise level.
Targeted at company-level managers and trade unions, the toolkit is aligned with both national and international standards as well as emerging supply chain requirements. It comprises three main components: a comprehensive set of guidelines, interactive training, and mentoring and advisory services for automotive businesses in Thailand.
To mark the launch, 70 representatives from government, employers’ associations, trade unions and companies from across the automotive manufacturing supply chain took part in training in Bangkok on 9-10 September 2024 learning how the toolkit can be put to use.
David Williams, Manager of the RISSC Project in Thailand said, “Social dialogue and representation are core features of industrial relations, as well as enabling rights that can drive broader improvements in decent work and business outcomes. They also play a crucial role in enabling responsible business conduct through Human Rights Due Diligence, the effectiveness of which is amplified by management-worker cooperation in mitigating and managing labour risks in automotive workplaces.”
Thailand ranks among the world’s leading automotive producers and exporters. The sector comprises major multinational enterprises as well as a substantial supply chain consisting of both national and international suppliers. It accounts for approximately more than 10 per cent of Thailand’s GDP and employs nearly a million workers.
The toolkit will be fully released to the public in December 2024.
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