BSR Insight | How Companies Can Collaborate to Improve Factory Labor Issues
In the Beijing Development Area (BDA), an economic zone with a high concentration of factory workers, companies are facing severe challenges such as recruiting and retaining workers—issues that prevail in similar manufacturing regions across China.
To address these issues in the BDA, BSR is working with Nokia on ways to collaborate with other companies at the local level to build larger-scale, cost-effective programs that benefit both workers and factory managers. Based on our research (Chinese version available here), we recommend that companies work together to:
- Improve worker living conditions by upgrading or subsidizing accommodations, expanding transportation options, and providing recreational activities for free or at a reduced cost.
- Deliver joint trainings for workers on personal-development topics such as managing stress and professional-development issues such as machine repair or welding, and for HR and production line managers on issues such as conflict management and communications skills.
- Improve employee retention by working with labor agencies to reduce costs related to recruitment, increase the quality of new recruits, and improve the management of staffing and production schedules.
On May 18, BSR, Nokia, and other stakeholders will gather in Beijing to design an initiative to address these issues. To attend this event or to learn more, contact Adam Lane.
About the Author(s)
Adam Lane, Manager, Advisory Services
Bridging cultures and enhancing collaboration, Adam works with multinational companies in China to help them understand the nuts and bolts of corporate responsibility in China, as well as with Chinese companies to help them learn the ropes of developing leading global CSR strategies... Read more →
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