Regional hubs

Swedish Workplace Programme connects regionally

Colombia
South Africa and Kenya
Vietnam

To ensure that the programme’s approach captures the regional context, challenges and opportunities from the stakeholders, Regional Programme Coordinators are located in four hubs in the world; Colombia, Kenya, South Africa and Vietnam. The coordinators are responsible for the programme’s regional activities and implementation.They supervise, guide and monitor external facilitators such as thematic experts and other implementing partners that will support Workplace Programmes. 

In each region, the Swedish Workplace Programme (SWP) provides Sustainable Business Platforms (SBP) which serves as a stakeholder-based forum. SWP uses forums as a catalyst for companies to engage in joint strategic discussions concerning improvements, solutions and actions taken to address local sustainability and related workplace challenges. When a company partners with SWP and implement a Workplace Programme, there will be opportunities to meet peer to peer with the other partnering companies to exchange learnings and inspiration.

During the programme we will upload information, learnings and summaries of what happens in the regional hubs.

Colombia

" Multiple opportunities became available during the past years. The digital revolution penetrated most workplaces enabling us to roll-out SWP in Colombia. The response from the business community, Team Sweden and partners has been fantastic! We have partnered with several Swedish companies and we look forward to new partnerships in the years to come. Moreover, we have created a Sustainable Business Platform where we invite actors locally to analyse sustainability issues, discuss joint challenges and design solutions."

Kaveh Hagi
Programme Director Latin America

" Como colombiana, el ser presentada y luego promover la forma de trabajo sueco con enfoque horizontal, comunicaciones continuas y diálogo abierto ha sido una experiencia increíble.Durante nuestros primeros años logramos un gran progreso, y estamos actualmente colaborando con una variedad de empresas en su proceso de consolidar lugares de trabajo sostenibles. Espero expandir nuestra red de socios y continuar promoviendo el modelo sueco de diálogo, transparencia y equidad."

Maria Castilla
Regional Programme Coordinator Colombia

Kenya and South Africa

"As the pandemic resets the workplace, business leaders and unions need to rethink and be equipped to deal with the acceleration of the future world of work. Social dialogue is playing an important role in bringing forth the development of policies to protect business operations in Kenya and South Africa. This is despite the many social and economic challenges presented by the pandemic. The need for an enabling environment for constructive social dialogue was heightened, as deep inequalities and recessions in these developing economies were fully displayed. Social dialogue presented an opportunity for partners to cooperate, innovate and recreate solutions that benefitted all sides to build back better. The SWP in South Africa and Kenya contributed by building capacities on workplace cooperation. By doing so the programme contributed to union -management relations at workplace level. We look forward to implementing workplace programmes via representative committees that contribute to sustainable business and a win-win for all."

Binta Mutale
Programme Director Africa​

"It has been exciting during the last years with many learnings of the Swedish model. There has been a lot of sharing and networking with the other Hubs and the global office. So far, we have initiated workplace programmes in Kenya, with a trade union and with a local Kenyan company, focused on fostering sustainable business practice and policy. I look forward to more meaningful engagements with Swedish companies and their value chains in the region. Asante sana!


Regional Programme Coordinator Kenya

"In the South African landscape, we are implementing the Programme through a number of initiatives. This included a Sustainable Business Platform (SBP) with local Swedish companies and kicking-off a union capacity-building workstream. We have spent time developing partnerships and laying the groundwork for how to make a positive impact. I am looking forward to focus on establishing workplace programmes in individual workplaces and within their supply chains, and progressing our SBPs in specific key sectors."

Sena Ramlochan
Regional Programme Coordinator South Africa

Vietnam

"In the last decades Vietnam has transformed from one of the poorest countries in the world to a lower middle-income country. The aim is to become a high-income country in 2045. Due to the US-China trade war, many manufacturing businesses relocate to Vietnam. It is really exciting to work with a country that is in such a big transformation with a fast-growing economy and a lot of optimism. With our work we want to contribute with one little piece of the puzzle to manage the growth in a sustainable way. Our aim is to promote decent work and a stable labor market by encouraging employee involvement and dialogue between managers and employees. In addition, we encourage learning and sharing between peers by creating sustainable business platforms. One example is the Sustainable sourcing network for people working with sourcing in Vietnam."

Evalena Persson
Programme Director Asia​

"Since the Swedish workplace programme was established in Vietnam in the middle of 2020 we have built a valuable network with relevant companies and organisations. There is a great interest in issues related to decent work and social dialogues in Vietnam right now. Not least because of the new European Union Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), that includes requirements to implement the International Labour Organisation’s core conventions. Vietnam has now ratified seven of the eight conventions. The last convention to be implemented is the convention on Freedom of association and protection of the right to organize. We strongly believe that a modern organizational culture where employees are engaged and listened to is an important success factor for businesses. Swedish Workplace Programme aims to enable such a culture and I am very happy to be a part of that work."

Hien Nguyen
Regional Programme Coordinator Vietnam

Contact a Regional Programme Coordinator

If you wish to contact a Regional Programme Coordinator directly, please visit our contact page.

Contact

Contact us

+46 8 783 82 68

Visit the page Contact

Global office

World Trade Center

Klarabergsviadukten 70
116 64 Stockholm

Close

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This executive summary presents the findings from the study “Workplace Cooperation: Finding Practical Solutions in the Colombian Context,” conducted by the Fundación Ideas para la Paz (FIP). The study evaluates the added value of the Swedish Workplace Programme (SWP) dialogue and cooperation model within the Colombian labor market.

Throughout 2022, FIP dedicated efforts to thoroughly understand the SWP model, including its concept, foundations, implementation process, and contributions to the labor market. In 2023, FIP documented the experiences of three companies—SKF Latin Trade, Securitas, and Epiroc—that implemented the SWP model in practice. The study also included face-to-face workshops to gather feedback from various stakeholders including civil society, businesses, government, academia, and international cooperation. The findings suggest that the SWP model has the potential to strengthen labor relations, contribute to decent work, and resolve workplace conflicts in Colombia.

The case studies highlight the importance of collaboration between employers and workers to promote decent work and sustainable development in Colombia. They demonstrate that social dialogue facilitates worker participation in labor decision-making, enhances their representativeness, and promotes cooperation between employers and employees, thus improving labor relations and contributing to the well-being of both employees and companies.

The SWP model is particularly noted for improving workplace relationships and commitment to jointly finding solutions to challenges faced by workers and the company. It empowers workers, enhances leadership, and helps integrate business policies into daily practices, reducing the initial disconnect between management objectives and the day-to-day realities of workers. The study also highlights the model’s capacity to manage conflicts constructively, transforming the perception of conflict as an opportunity for improvement. Structured dialogues deepen understanding of the underlying causes of conflicts, fostering empathy and facilitating effective resolution. This promotes a culture of collaboration and a democratic approach to decision-making, building trust.

Additionally, the model is recognized for enabling workers to make decisions, identify challenges, and propose solutions that impact their well-being, and bridging gender gaps in the workplace. Its inclusive approach adapts to the unique needs and characteristics of each company, promoting a stronger and more diverse organizational culture. It also drives good work performance and productivity by involving workers in problem identification and resolution, as well as in implementing improvements and efficiently identifying ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) risks for companies.

The document identifies the SWP model’s added value in empowering direct interaction among labor stakeholders in Colombia, overcoming historical or cultural reservations, and contributing to the development of stronger labor relations and improved workplace environments in the country.

Challenges and opportunities of the model are also discussed. The study points out the importance of addressing value chain risks, particularly in a global context where corporate clients demand decent work processes and due diligence. It emphasizes the need to integrate SMEs into this process and use anchor companies as drivers of social dialogue throughout the value chain. The role of the state in social dialogue and the importance of highlighting the benefits of the model for adoption across various business sectors are discussed.

The opportunities of the model include raising awareness of human rights in the workplace in line with the United Nations Guiding Principles (UNGP), to strengthen due diligence, manage risks, promote long-term sustainability, and improve organizational culture. The document also underscores the importance of involving workers in change processes, leveraging their insights for continuous improvement of processes, and fostering innovation opportunities. Lastly, it suggests replicating the model in value chains to address work environment risks and gender biases, involving suppliers and contractors, and integrating the model into corporate policies to strengthen existing programs and transform organizational culture towards resource efficiency and effective participation of employers and workers.

The intervention of the SWP programme had a direct effect at the workplaces, where shop stewards listed several cases where they had managed to intervene and secure results in dialogue with management, avert crises or find solutions based on opportunities and the communication skills obtained during the SWP training. For the Amalgamated Metal Workers Unions in Kenya, the shop stewards pointed to how the training had enabled them to design their own strategies at the workplace in relation to supervisors and staff, and to achieve many concrete results.