Engagement

The Canadian Employers Council (CEC) is effective only if it creates and nurtures healthy relationships with other key stakeholders in the international policy-making arena. Below is a list of key organizations with whom the CEC engages regularly.

The CEC and the International Labour Organization (ILO):

• The CEC serves as the only authorized representative of Canadian employers in the ILO.
• The CEC attends meetings and represents the interests of Canadian employers on a wide range of important topics that impact industries, including banking, broadcasting, civil aviation, construction, maritime shipping, news media, postal services, retail, telecommunications, transportation and utilities. Some of the more recent meetings where the CEC has attended to advance the interest of Canadian business involved topics such as corporate social responsibility, disability management, labour market flexibility, labour migration, labour statistics, employment equity, human trafficking, micro-financing and occupational diseases, to name just a few.
• The CEC participates in the creation of ILO International Labour Standards, on a wide range of topics, such as child labour, occupational health & safety, maternity protections in the workplace. The CEC engages in ILO governance and policy development through its Annual International Labour Conference at which global labour standards are developed and endorsed, and at Bi-Annual ILO Governing Body Meetings.
• The CEC participates in a diversity of ILO program initiatives, such as ILO’s Declaration of Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, Committee of Freedom of Association and the Committee on the Application of Standards. The CEC actively advances Canadian employers’ interests in these processes. As an example, the CEC was instrumental in the development of strong ILO support for the promotion of small business and in the ILO’s future plans for co-operative enterprises.

The CEC and the International Organisation of Employers (IOE):

• The CEC serves as the only authorized representative of Canadian employers in the IOE, the largest network of the private sector in the world, with more than 150 business and employer organization members. In social and labour policy debate taking place at the ILO, the UN and the G20, the IOE is the recognized voice of business.

The CEC and Other International Bodies:

• Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) – the CEC participates in OECD forums, which play increasingly important roles in developing standards for corporate conduct in the areas of business and human rights
• Organization of American States (OAS) – the CEC serves as a member of a permanent advisory body to the Inter-American Conference of Ministers of Labour (IACML) of the OAS, a group comprised of labour ministers of the 34 nation states in the Western Hemisphere, which is central to the deliberations around several important labour issues including the labour and social dimension of international trade negotiations
• United Nations (UN) – the CEC participates in UN events, where relevant, such as the CEC response to former Secretary General Kofi Annan’s request that employers participate in corporate responsibility programs and CEC involvement in Global Compact Leaders’ Summit
• World Bank – the CEC engages in World Bank activities on behalf of Canadian employers, when requested, such as ongoing involvement in the Bank’s Doing Business reports

The CEC and Canadian Organizations:

• Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) – the CEC collaborates with the CLC, which is the voice of the labour movement in Canada and is a key participant in the Canadian tripartite approach to the labour portfolio; CEC and CLC strive to cooperate on international labour issues to find solutions that are mutually beneficial for Canadian businesses and workers
• Government of Canada – the CEC provides government with input regarding Canadian employers’ views on international labour law issues; CEC members interact with Ministers and Deputy Ministers at the federal, provincial and territorial levels; CEC members make presentations on key topics to the Parliament of Canada, such as via the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Social Development and Status of Persons with Disabilities Committee and participate fully in tripartite conferences on topics ranging from corporate social responsibility, freedom of association and collective bargaining