The OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and Labour Relations 1976–1979: Experience and Review

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by Professor Dr. Mark EYSKENS 1 Minister for Development and Co-operation There is no doubt that the OECD Guidelines correspond to the growing need of the piloting of, international investment and the behaviour of multinational enterprises. They are the expression of far reaching co-operation between Member countries, which is necessary to maintain and even improve a better investment climate; they constitute a positive contribution to the resolving of difficulties, to which the operations of multinational enterprises may give rise, especially in the labour relations area. Belgium especially, has gained immensely from the positive contributions, which multinational enterprises can make to economic and social progress, could also, from the very moment of their existence, call upon the Guidelines and the competent OECD Committee for help, in order, to solve an important problem concerning the responsibility of the parent company for the (financial) 2 obligations of its subsidiaries. The guidance the Belgian Government received in the framework of the OECD declaration contributed largely to the satisfac­ tory solution of the problem, with which Belgium was confronted. Undoubt­ edly, other examples could be given, where the Guidelines aided significantly to the creation and maintaining of co-operation between the Government, the enterprise and labour in difficult questions, such as the closing down of a plant.