OECD guidelines for multinational enterprises and labor law: the human being as a priority on the development process

Abstract

Transnational corporations are important actors in the globalized capitalist society and contribute directly to the promotion of national development. Its performance, however, arouses important concerns, which led the OECD to edit a document with suggestions of good practices to be disseminated by the signatory countries in these companies. Brazil has committed to the OECD Guidelines, and therefore, was compelled to implement a National Contact Point for civil society to report possible breaches of the guidelines. The National Contact Point has received allegations of breaches especially in labor relations and has been functioning as an instrument to increase the bargaining power of Unions in collective bargaining. It has also had an important involvement on several conflicts, especially in the financial sector.