CNV partners and staff trained on Corporate Accountability & Grievance Mechanisms

SOMO, in cooperation with CNV Internationaal, has organised a 2.5 day training for trade unions on developing company research and intervention strategies, with the aim to prevent, stop and remedy corporate misconduct. The training provided an opportunity for CNV partners and staff to enhance their knowledge and skills to research and address corporate misconduct.

The training first familiarised the participants with the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility and the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. The language provided by international CSR norms and standards provide trade unions with ammunition to frame demands from companies and other (international) business relationships. On the first day, the notion of human rights due diligence, supply chain responsibility and responsibility expectations from companies were covered. The training further provided participants with insights into possible strategies that could subsequently be implemented in a successful campaign to prevent, stop and/or remedy human rights violations by a particular company.

During the second training day, participants were given insights into elements of doing company research, often an important action to do when building up a case against a company. The training further focused on filing complaints with non-judicial grievance mechanisms, most particularly the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, as a way for organisations to address the responsibility of multinational companies operating in or sourcing internationally.

On the last day of the training, the grievance mechanisms of the International Finance Corporation, the Compliance Advisor Ombudsman, and the ILO Committee of Freedom of Association were elaborated on. Participants then took time to further work on their cases and identify follow up action to this training.