A recent critique and response over labour employment practices, particularly the issue of out-sourced workers, between a European labour organisation and a major multinational provides an interesting case study of labour hiring practices and potential impacts on labour of the current economic down-turn.  The multinational, Unilever, which has received some praise from NGO’s for its disclosure practices in the past, has been engaged in a dialogue over an issue which is topical across many industry sectors during this current economic period. 

Unilever’s 2008 Sustainability Report  can be found at:
http://www.unilever.com/sustainability/

An Erratum to the Report was presented at Unilever's shareholder's meeting by the Dutch Federation of Trade Union.

An article concerning the presentation of the report can be found at:
http://www.iuf.org/cgi-bin/dbman/db.cgi?db=default&ww=1&uid=default&ID=5956&view_records=1&en=1

The report, titled: '''Erratum Annual Reports and Accounts: Adding Insecurity to Life'', focuses on what the authors refer to as “the other side” of Unilever’s impact, with a strong focus on South East Asia.
http://www.indianet.nl/pdf/AddingInsecurityToLife.pdf

Unilever’s response, "Labour Rights and Working Practices: A Summary of Stakeholder Concerns and Our Response",  which admits that they are down-sizing the work-force, and addresses the issue of outsourcing, but essentially rejects the findings in the Erratum, can be found at:
http://www.unilever.com/sustainability/approach/responding-to-our-stakeholders/default.aspx