When governments engage with workers for their perspectives on trade and development, in the same way they consult business, the resulting policies and practices are more equitable, more sustainable, and more likely to succeed.

This was evident in Bangkok last month when the Bureau of International Labor Affairs brought together government officials and social partners from the 14 partner countries of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity to share strategies to promote an inclusive and competitive regional economy that values workers and respects labor rights.  This convening, IPEF Labor and Network Discussion (IPEF LAND), provided a unique opportunity for governments to delve into the IPEF labor provisions and to collaborate on next steps, while also engaging with workers and the private sector employers on IPEF labor commitments.

Launched by President Biden in May 2022, IPEF aims to advance resilience, sustainability, inclusiveness, economic growth, fairness, and competitiveness in the Indo-Pacific region. Under IPEF, the U.S. and the 13 regional partners have negotiated landmark agreement on building more resilient supply chains, accelerating the transition to a clean economy, and promoting a more transparent and predictable business environment through anti-corruption and transparent tax administration. Across all these efforts, engaging with social partners – including unions and the business community – are critical to ensuring their success.

We asked our team to reflect on the exchange and the value of putting worker voice and labor rights front and center in trade and development.

Why does ILAB strive to include workers as partners in discussions on trade, economic development, and more?

If we’re working toward prosperity, we can’t ignore the fact that workers are the engine behind it all. When we include workers from the start as equal partners to government and private sector employers, we can better understand their needs and develop effective policies that support them. This also allows for labor rights to be woven into the fabric of multilateral economic engagements like IPEF allowing for workers to benefit from economic growth.

How are we doing this?

We include provisions protecting labor rights in economic frameworks like IPEF, as well as into U.S. trade agreements and preference programs with other nations. If you are doing business with the United States, we expect you to uphold international labor standards, including the rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining.

What role does the private sector play in strengthening labor rights across the Indo-Pacific?

As the IPEF governments work to build resilient supply chains, promote a just transition, and promote fair and quality work across the region, workers and employers both have a critical role to play. Nowhere is this more visible than the Labor Rights Advisory Board, which brings all three groups – governments, workers and employers – to the same table to work together on strengthening labor rights and promoting workforce development to strengthen regional supply chain resilience and competitiveness. During the Bangkok meetings, the IPEF governments engaged virtually with regional employers and representatives of the private sector to exchange views on strategies to accomplish these shared goals

How does IPEF advance worker voice and labor rights?

As part of IPEF, we worked to integrate labor rights protections across the framework in all three Supply Chain, Clean Economy, and Fair Economy Agreements. We succeeded. The agreements include commitments to:

  • Union consultation and respecting the rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining.
  • Establish a Labor Rights Advisory Board made up of workers, employers, and government officials whose sole purpose is to ensure labor rights are part of supply chain resiliency implementation.
  • Create mechanisms for receiving allegations of labor rights inconsistencies that affect IPEF supply chains.
  • Implement a just transition, in line with the ILO Guidelines, to a clean economy that respects labor rights.
  • Ensure migrant worker protections and fair recruitment.

We also just launched the IPEF Labor Network for labor organizations with the International Trade Union Confederation, which provides workers representatives a platform to exchange ideas on how to participate and benefit from IPEF.

How will the U.S. and other governments act on workers’ recommendations?

Despite hailing from different countries and representing workers from various industries, the labor leaders at the Bangkok meeting quickly came together to develop recommendations that will help their governments implement IPEF labor provisions. For example, their feedback will help governments, especially representatives of the Labor Rights Advisory Board, identify, evaluate and develop reports of supply chain sectors with significant labor violations, and provide recommendations for addressing those violations.

Government officials and workers alike are enthusiastic about ongoing collaboration to advance labor rights in the region, and we look forward to continuing our partnerships with them to build a strong regional economy that centers workers.