We’re proud to announce that Global Labor Justice, along with the International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Associations (IUF) and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) – have launched a new website: “Accountable Development Finance: Hospitality”.

This site is a major new resource for all those interested in sectoral approaches to holding development banks accountable. The centerpiece of the website is an interactive map that tracks all hospitality investments by all development finance institutions that have invested in the sector. The site also includes a proposed policy solution – the Early Engagement Labor Framework Agreement – which you can read about in detail on the site!

Development finance institutions claim two core missions: to promote development and to alleviate poverty. These institutions offer preferential loan terms to clients with the understanding that they will adhere to national law, international labor standards, and development bank-specific labor safeguards.

However, in hotels around the world that are financed by the private lending arm of the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), as well as bilateral, regional, and national development banks, workers consistently face poverty wages, unsafe and unhealthy working conditions, discrimination, gender-based violence, and retaliation for union organizing.

Since beginning their work together on development finance in the hotel sector five years ago, the IUF and GLJ identified the challenges hotel workers face to access their rights –including violations of the right to freedom of association, collective bargaining, occupational health and safety, and a workplace free of gender-based violence and harassment.

GLJ will continue to work with its partners to fight for workers’ rights in the hospitality sector, and to ensure that development banks live up to their core mission, and make development impact a reality for workers.