LAUSR

This study explores how international union alliances (IUAs) contribute to the effectiveness of international framework agreements (IFAs) in emerging or developing economies. Drawing on a distinction between procedural and normative effectiveness, it conducts a longitudinal analysis based on detailed multi-level case studies of two telecom multinational companies – Telefonica and Portugal Telecom – which have signed IFAs. It explores the impact of four dimensions of IUAs (governance structures, material resources, deliberative processes and access to institutional resources) on the effectiveness of IFAs. Key conclusions highlight the importance of procedural effectiveness for normative effectiveness and the role of IUAs’ organizational and institutional resources in ensuring respect for workers’ rights through IFAs.