EU: European Parliament votes to strengthen role of European Works Councils European legislation A report drafted by German MEP Dennis Radtke, which urges the European Commission to revise the 2009 directive on European Works Councils, was supported by the European Parliament in a vote on 2 February 2023.…
Transnational company agreements: older workers the great forgotten of negotiations Transnational industrial relations At a time when most Western countries are seeking to increase the legal retirement age – to reduce pension scheme deficits or, in some cases, to address skill shortages – mind RH has taken a closer look at the transnational company agreements signed by multinational firms with a view to fostering the employment of older workers within their foreign subsidiaries. Seven agreements have been picked out, most of them European, which focus on the employability and job retention of ageing employees.
Free Inditex: clothing giant makes commitment with European Works Council to preserve jobs despite transformation plan Transnational industrial relations Following the announcement of a strategic transformation and digitalisation plan, the management of Inditex, the parent company of the prêt-à-porter brands Zara and Pull &…
UniCredit and the EWC sign a joint statement on remote work Transnational industrial relations A joint declaration signed on 21 October by the management and EWC of Italy’s second largest bank, UniCredit, sets out the guidelines, principles and future minimum quality standards for remote work, with the aim of offering this possibility to all employees within the group (on a voluntary basis) and in all countries where it operates. The text defines new ‘ordinary’ working arrangements that are based on alternating remote work with face-to-face work (40% of working time for employees in the Headquarters and central office structures, and 20% for employees across the Group’s Network). The joint declaration takes into account the extraordinary experience gained during the pandemic, as well as positioning remote work within the framework of initiatives promoting a high quality of work life and a better work-life balance.
ENGIE: joint declaration signed with its European Works Council on digital technology issues for the Group Transnational industrial relations On 28 November, Robert Textoris, ENGIE’s European Works Council (EWC) secretary, together with ENGIE's CEO Isabelle Kocher, signed a joint declaration that sets out a ‘frame of reference common to all of the Group's entities and employees’ and that will support them through digital transformations. It recommends the use of transparent social dialogue, as early as possible along transformation project timelines that cover the potential impacts and consequences in terms of training, and with a special focus on quality of life at work, respect for individual freedoms, and data security.
SUEZ : renewed European agreement on professional equality detailed by group industrial relations director Transnational industrial relations On 12 September 2019, global utilities group SUEZ signed a new European agreement on professional equality that applies to almost 61,000 staff working across all its subsidiaries Europewide. The agreement targets a continued increase in the number of females employed and affirms its zero tolerance policy in terms of wage discrimination and sexual harassment, as well as making a commitment to match paternity leave remuneration conditions with those for maternity leave (c.f. article No. 11355). In an interview with Planet Labor, Corinne Borralho, Corporate Industrial relations Director, discusses the contents of an agreement that will affect almost 70% of the group’s headcount and that strengthens the commitments undertaken in the previous 2015 agreement (c.f. article No. 8995).
Suez: European agreement on professional equality renewed Transnational industrial relations Today, on 16 September, Bertrand Camus, chief executive of French utility group Suez, the group’s European trade unions, and the European Union Federations have signed an agreement to reinforce the fostering of professional equality. Suez had previously made a commitment of this kind in 2015, as part of a European agreement on professional equality signed with the same bodies (see article n°8995). This latest agreement resumes that commitment, with an update to part of its contents and its quantified targets. The agreement introduces a zero-tolerance policy on sexual harassment and establishes a procedure for dealing with cases of sexual harassment and everyday sexism. It also includes a plan to bring paternity leave pay up to the same level as maternity leave pay.
Generali: management and the European Works Council sign a joint declaration that commits to diversity and inclusion in the Group Transnational industrial relations Promoting diversity and work-life balance and including workers with disabilities are just some of Italian insurance company Generali’s commitments that have been further bolstered by the joint Diversity and Inclusion statement that was signed by both Generali management and the European Works Council (EWC) in June 2019 and published on the company’s website on 09 September.
Unilever: agreement signed with EWC on the ‘Future of Work’ to support retraining of workers and the development of employment models that are more compatible with their expectations Transnational industrial relations On Wednesday 5 March, the management at consumer goods group Unilever signed an agreement on the ‘future of work’ with its European Works Council. The deal sets out jointly-devised measures, to be funded by Unilever, to put in place a common programme to support transformation at the group.
Groupama : EWC and management have signed a joint declaration on ‘quality of life at work’ with special emphasis on the impact of digitalization Transnational industrial relations Trade union federation Uni Europa published the information that on 01 July 2018 a joint declaration was signed by the social partners of the Groupama SA EWC (represented by its secretary) and the group’s CEO, which translates ‘the signatories commitment to promoting an innovative approach and a shared vocabulary as regards quality of life at work as an avenue for supporting how change as a key strategic theme for the insurance profession is managed in the digital era.”
