Global Union Federations seek to build international cooperation and solidarity among trade unions across countries. There has been growing recognition of GUFs by multinational companies and increased social dialogue. In some cases, this has resulted in International Framework Agreements between GUFs and multinational companies to establish global labor standards.

2. Global Union Federations (GUFs) seek to build international co-
operation, joint action, and global solidarity among trade unions in
different countries that share common employers.
There is a growing global trade union recognition by multinational
enterprises of GUFs at the headquarter levels, and beyond, and of the
work that they do, as well as an important increase in social dialogue.
In some cases, this interaction has resulted in the negotiation of
International Framework Agreements (IFAs), also known as
Global Framework Agreements (GFAs).
Who are Global Unions ?
Global Unions are international trade union organisations working
together with a shared commitment to the ideals and principles of the
trade union movement. They share a common determination to
organize, to defend human rights and labour standards everywhere,
and to promote the growth of trade unions for the benefit of all working
men and women and their families."

3. International workers Federation Indian Unions
 Indian National Metalworkers’ Federation
 Indian National Mineworkers’ Federation
 Steel, Metal & Engineering workers’ Federation of India
 Simpson & Group Companies Workers and Staff Union
 Working People Trade Union Council
 SKF Bearing India Employees’ Union
 Sandvik Asia Employees’ Union
• Philips & B.C. Components Employees’ Union
 Atlas Copco Employees’ Federation

4. Contents of a framework agreement with ThyssenKrupp
 According to the agreement, ThyssenKrupp is obliged to comply with the
principles of the International Labour Organzation (ILO), among other
international standards, at all its subsidiaries worldwide. These include
particularly ILO conventions nos. 29, 87, 98, 100,105, 111 ,138and 182. Under the
newly signed GFA ThyssenKrupp undertakes to respect the following principles:
 Equal opportunity and equal treatment
 Maximum working hours as regulated by a respective legislation or a collective
bargaining agreement or other agreement within the specific country
 Right to a reasonable remuneration for all employees
 Health and safety of employees a key issue, obliging ThyssenKrupp to adhere to
local laws with regard to a safe, hygienic working environment
 All employees have the right to establish trade unions and employees’
representative bodies, and to engage in collective bargaining
 All forms of child and forced labour are prohibited
 The GFA has also strong provisions for implementation and monitoring
through an International Committee with the participation of various
management and workers’ representatives.

5. • Refers to agreements among countries in a
geographic region to reduce, and ultimately
remove, tariff and non tariff barriers to the
free flow of goods, services and factors of
production between each other.
Regional Economic Integration

6. Levels of Economic Integration
1.Political Union
2.Economic Union
3.Common Market
4.Customs Union
5.Free Trade Area
• Free Trade Area: all barriers to the trade of
goods and services among member countries
are removed.

7. • Customs Union: eliminates trade barriers between member
countries and adopts a common external trade policy.
• Common Market: Has no barriers to trade between member
countries, includes a common external trade policy, and
allows factors of production to move freely between
members.
• Economic Union: involves free flow of products and factors
of production between member countries and adoption of a
common external trade policy. It also requires common
currency, harmonization of members’ tax rates, and a
common monetary and fiscal policy.

8. • Political Union: Moving toward economic
union, raises questions of how to coordinate
bureaucracy accountable to the citizens of
member nations. Political union in which a
central political apparatus coordinates the
economic, social, and foreign policy of the
member states is the answer.

9. • European Union
• NAFTA: USA, Canada, Mexico
• Andean Pact: Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Colombia and Peru (now
operates as a customs union including Venezuela but minus Chile)
• MERCOSUR – originated with Brazil and Argentina includes
Paraguay and Uruguay.
• ASEAN: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar,
Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
• SAARC South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation
• BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical
and Economic Cooperation ) Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri
Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal
Regional Unions