Canada-Argentina Memorandum of Understanding on Labour Cooperation

Memorandum of Understanding between the Labour Program of Employment and Social Development Canada and the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security of the Republic of Argentina on Cooperation in the Area of Labour and Employment

The Labour Program of Employment and Social Development Canada and the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security of the Republic of Argentina, hereinafter referred to as the “Participants”;

RECOGNIZING the importance to strengthen their cooperative relations in matters of labour and employment as a genuine expression of the friendship and cultural and social ties linking the peoples of Canada and Argentina,

CONSIDERING that their ties of collaboration in the abovementioned matters serve their mutual interests and require that they strengthen their communications and streamline their administrative relations,

ACKNOWLEDGING that Canada and Argentina share a similar commitment to sound labour rights and practices, and that they are committed to promoting fair, safe, healthy, cooperative and productive workplaces in their respective countries,

HAVE COME to the following understanding:

1. The purpose of this Memorandum of Understanding (the “Memorandum”) is to establish a framework for the Participants to carry out institutional cooperation activities in order to promote the sharing of knowledge and experiences within their respective competences.
2. The Participants have developed an indicative list of areas of cooperation in the annex to this Memorandum.
3. The Participants will carry out the cooperative activities they mutually decide upon. In carrying out these activities, the Participants may cooperate through Experts’ missions, seminars, training sessions, working groups, conferences, as well as other means that they may mutually decide upon.
4. The Participants designate the heads of their international relations department to implement this Memorandum and act as point of contact.
5. The Participants will pay for their own expenses arising from the activities carried out under this Memorandum, unless they decide otherwise in writing.
6. The Participants understand that the activities carried out under this Memorandum are subject to the availability of their respective funds. The Participants will encourage the participation or financial support from international and regional organizations as well as from third-country institutions.
7. The Participants may invite representatives of other public or private sector organizations, including representatives from the labour, business and academic sectors, to take part in the activities.
8. This Memorandum is not legally binding.
9. This Memorandum will take effect on the date of its last signature by the Participants and remain valid for a period of three years.
10. The Participants may renew this Memorandum upon their mutual consent in writing.
11. The Participants may amend this Memorandum upon their mutual consent in writing.

SIGNED in duplicate at Lima, on October 13, 2014, in the English, French and Spanish languages, each version being equally valid.

Potential Areas of Cooperation

The Participants have established the following indicative but non-exhaustive list of areas for cooperation activities:

• Promotion of decent work, touching upon the following subjects: Informal employment; Working conditions: work schedule; Subcontracting; Atypical working relationships; Eradication of child labour.
• Promotion of equal-opportunity policies: Initiatives to promote equal opportunities in the workplace for groups that are vulnerable, discriminated against and excluded; job stability and promotion; Legislations, policies and programs to combat discrimination, sexual harassment and other forms of harassment in the workplace; Occupational integration of persons with disabilities.
• Active employment policies: Labour intermediation; Modernization of public employment services; Youth employment; Support for women's placement services and training, with special emphasis on women with few qualifications and victims of abuse; Local employment offices; Professional retraining; Professional training strategies aimed at areas of activity.
• Unemployment: Employment insurance and other non-contributory income policies.
• Participation of social actors: Social dialogue or concerted action as an instrument for job creation; Institutional mechanisms for the representation of social stakeholders.
• Collective bargaining in public and private spheres: New content, including gender perspective.
• Alternative dispute resolution: Mediation and conciliation services.
• Social security: Mechanisms and instruments to improve management, benefits and regulation; Social security coverage for self-employed workers and new forms of employment contracts.
• Occupational health and safety: Methods, measures and best practices to prevent or reduce accidents in the workplace; Educational tools for raising awareness and changing attitudes in order to improve the physical and mental health of workers.
• Labour inspection: Innovative inspection techniques, procedures, management and use of new computer tools.
• Corporate social responsibility: Promotional activities and awareness action.