International services

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Our experts have assisted many countries in building a robust employment relations framework. As part of these projects we have set up mediation services and provided training.

During our thirty years of promoting good employment practice and resolving disputes at work we have delivered assistance and training in a number of other countries. We also receive many delegations from overseas, keen to learn from our experience and knowledge.

Acas in Europe

Acas has worked closely with many countries seeking accession to the European Union, helping them to gain a better understanding of social dialogue in the UK and other member states. These have included Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia and Latvia, to strengthen the way they handle employment relations. These projects are called twinning projects and are funded by the EU. All EU member states must comply with certain rights and obligations, many relating to European legislation.

Acas beyond

Our advisers have worked in Brazil on a project financed by the Global Opportunities Fund in collaboration with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Brazil's Ministry of Work and Employment to help facilitate trade union and labour reforms.

How can Acas help you?

We can offer advice on mediation, conciliation, arbitration and social dialogue. We also offer training in:

mediation/conciliation skills
joint problem solving
collective bargaining and the introduction of mediation services
effective negotiations

Try our introduction document Ask Acas in the following languages:

Contact us

Our international team can be contacted via our Customer Services Team.

For more information on the training courses we offer visit, acas.org.uk/training.

A case study

The Brazilian Ministry of Work and Employment

In 2006 we were asked to take part in a project financed by the Global Opportunities Fund. The project's purpose and structure were agreed by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Secretariat of Work Relations (part of the Brazilian Ministry of Work and Employment (MTE)). The aim was to assist trade union and labour reforms, which would help the Brazilian government strengthen its economic and political relationship with the UK and the EU.

How Acas helped

Our experts arranged three workshops that were key to the project, on the organisation of Brazilian trades union and different ways to resolve collective conflict. The attendees included MTE technicians from all 27 Brazilian states. They already had experience of promoting collective mediation in their regions.

The Acas workshops

We presented a comprehensive overview of our work and the benefits of individual and collective conciliation. Our experts also outlined their thoughts on the trade union movement and British labour relations. The workshops were very relaxed and interactive – participants were encouraged to take on the role of the mediator and look at the best way to resolve conflict in a given situation.

The results

Seventy-five MTE technicians were trained and learnt about the British experience of voluntary resolution of labour conflicts. The exchange of experience and ideas was valuable and participants learnt skills they could take back and apply to their own work situation.

One year on, labour market reform continues to be key to long-term economic stability in Brazil. The UK remains Brazil's partner of choice in this area. We will continue to work with MTE during 2008.