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#19 Isabelle Schömann: Trade unions, human rights and democracy

Listen to Isabelle Schömann, elected Confederal Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation. (ETUC).

Frankly Speaking has invited Isabelle Schömann, elected Confederal Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation, representing 45 million members in 39 countries. Isabelle has been playing a leading role in proposals around corporate transparency and due diligence in Europe and is a member of the standard setting board at the European Financial Reporting Advisory Group. Previously, she was principal advisor to the Regulatory Scrutiny Board of the European Commission and senior researcher at the European Trade Union Institute.

Isabelle shares her insights on:

  • Where trade unions stand on responsible business conduct
  • Key issues in the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence proposal for trade unions
  • Whether the due diligence proposal will make a difference on the ground level of global value chains
  • Reporting standards on the workforce in the value chain
  • Trade unions operating in authoritarian environments and why democracy at workplace is essential
  • Simply: how to speak with trade unions - if there is no formal system

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“It is our core business: You empower workers to exercise their basic rights at the workplace, which includes the freedom of associations, the freedom of expression. For us this is the vehicle to empower them to also make use of their democratic rights outside the business when they can elect responsible politicians and engage in the development of their communities.”

Isabelle Schömann in Frankly Speaking

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