Millennium development goals (MDGs) and corporate social responsibility (CSR)

In 2007, Prospect received funding from the International Development Learning Fund (part of the DFID/TUC Strategic Framework Partnership Arrangement) which enabled us to develop and promote the theme of a trades union based approach to corporate social responsibility.

This approach, aimed at demonstrating the link between organisational activities, core labour standards and the Millennium Development Goals and that as trade unionists we can bring about change to working practices, not only to the communities in which organisations operate - but the broader accountability in practices relating to the developing world - this to include  labour exploitation, national humanitarian campaigns, trade inequalities and corruption that impacts individuals and communities in the developing world.

The objectives of this ongoing work will be to demonstrate:

• how the Millennium Development Goals can help deliver organisational CSR policies.
• that organisations play a role, through their overseas operations and supply chains, in alleviating poverty by providing safe, decent and humane work.
• how organisational humanitarian/charitable activities can contribute to the Millennium Development Goals.
• how trade union members, as stakeholders, can participate in the CSR process.

Find out more about:

• why CSR is a trade union matter (Will link to the Irish Congress of Trade Unions - PDF document)
• globalisation and CSR (Link to the International Trade Union Confederation - chapter 6 or PDF document)
• Millennium Development Goals (link to the UN Development Agency)
• The Decent Work Agenda (Link to ILO)
• Business call to action? (Link to DFID initiative)