Casino group Cirsa signs global agreement with UNI Global Union and commits to due diligence measures Transnational industrial relations Requirements that also apply to subcontractors. Based in Neutmark, Bavaria, Pfleider specializes in the wholesale trade of wood and construction materials. It employs nearly 5,200 people in 22 sites across the world, including about 2,500 people in 8 sites in Germany. With this agreement, it commits to apply, on its German sites and especially abroad, minimum standards in terms of working conditions, in keeping with the ILO’s international standards. This text is the result of a project launched by the EWC, which took place over one year, and which clearly aimed to reach a social charter for the group.
Free Looking back at 2023: social dialogue returns to the fore Transnational industrial relations The year 2023 saw legislators, employers and trade unions agree to strengthen the role of social dialogue, both at company and European institution level. All are convinced of its importance, all the more so against the backdrop of crisis and environmental and digital transformation. This has given rise to dedicated initiatives, such as to strengthen European works councils and company agreements at national and global level.
Exclusif Interview Technologies Vincent Mackie (Safran): “We’re working on a common parenthood framework for all countries by 2024” Transnational industrial relations On 4 December, aerospace, technology and defence group Safran renewed its social responsibility agreement with IndustriAll Global Union. Vincent Mackie, group social affairs director, spoke to mind RH about the results of the first agreement and the objectives of the new version, which includes new training targets.
Global framework agreement: Safran commits to bolstering training and pre-empting evolution of jobs Transnational industrial relations The aerospace and defence industrial group Safran and IndustriAll Global Union have renewed their commitment for a further five years by signing a new framework agreement on social responsibility. In particular, Safran is committed to a global approach to boosting the employability of its employees and strengthening their social protection.
Exclusif Eramet establishes global social dialogue body, unprecedented in the mining industry Transnational industrial relations On 5 July, French multinational mining and metallurgy company Eramet announced the creation of the Eramet Global Forum, a global social dialogue body designed to support the group's internationalisation at a time when 80% of its workforce – 9,000 staff members – work outside of Europe, as a result of several sales. The forum will be able to negotiate global agreements on social protection and quality of life at work.
Société Générale to offer digitalisation related guarantees and social coverage to its employees worldwide Transnational industrial relations On 23 June, French banking group Société Générale renewed, for a second time, the global agreement on employee rights that it initially signed with UNI Global Union in 2015 and again in 2019 on its first renewal. The document reinforces its commitments vis-à-vis due diligence, countering harassment, progress towards gender equality and it also inaugurates guarantees over digitisation, notably on AI. Above all, the text introduces death cover as well as maternity/paternity leave entitlements for all 117,000 employees worldwide.
Exclusif Réglementaire Corporate due diligence (part 2/2): no longer applying just to large French corporations Initiatives from the public authorities and other stakeholders Since the start of 2023, corporate due diligence is no longer the preserve of the French statute books with German legislation now entering into force and discussions over the adoption of an EU Directive set for before the end of the year. While corporate vigilance plans are often incomplete and due diligence is slow to become effective, an growing number of stakeholders are nonetheless taking the issue on board. Indeed the topic is now becoming both an area for inter-corporate co-operation as well as a topic for intra-company social dialogue. Below, we provide some feedback from major names including Engie, Vinci, and Carrefour.
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.
Exclusif Teleperformance: global agreement committing to trade union freedom eventually signed after years of conflict Transnational industrial relations On 01 December 2022 French digital business solutions group Teleperformance succumbed and signed a global agreement on social responsibility. The text, which mind RH has obtained, commits Teleperformance both to guaranteeing freedom of association wherever it is poorly guaranteed by law and to complying with due diligence obligations; two issues over which the company has been facing litigation.
Global Framework Agreement: Carrefour commits to fighting sexual orientation and gender-based discrimination Transnational industrial relations The global union federation UNI Global Union, and French multinational retail and wholesaling corporation Carrefour have announced a second renewal of their global framework agreement on the promotion of social dialogue and diversity.…