UNI Global Union urges BNP Paribas to address links to settlements in West Bank under its vigilance duty Initiatives from the public authorities and other stakeholders On 9 October, the international trade union federation UNI Global Union published a letter it had sent the previous day to BNP Paribas. It calls on the French banking group (182,000 employees) to address its links with Israeli companies operating in the West Bank,…
French OECD Contact Point urges Shein to comply with international human rights standards Frame of reference/standards After two years of proceedings, France’s OECD National Contact Point on 29 September issued 10 recommendations urging Chinese fast-fashion giant Shein to overhaul its business model and exercise due diligence. The body, operating under the French economy ministry, cited numerous breaches of OECD guidelines — allegations Shein contests.
Poland: state-backed reduced working hours trial launched Initiatives from the public authorities and other stakeholders Poland’s labour ministry on 14 August launched a pilot scheme to test shorter working hours, allowing companies to trial either a four-day week or reduced daily hours. Employers selected for the programme will receive state financial support to help implement the new work arrangements.
UN agencies publish guidelines to protect workers from heat Initiatives from the public authorities and other stakeholders On 22 August, the World Health Organization and World Meteorological Organization released a joint report highlighting the rising risks that heat poses to workers amid climate change.…
France: Manpower seeks to raise climate awareness among all its temporary workers Corporate practices Since 22 April, temporary employment agency Manpower has been raising awareness of climate issues among its 70,000 temporary workers in France through a web series, in partnership with Axa Climate, the insurer's subsidiary specialising in climate change adaptation. This programme, which responds to a request from client companies, aims to make them players in the ecological transition within their companies and in their daily lives.
Major companies form coalition on global social protection baselines Corporate practices Alongside a dozen other major companies, L'Oréal announced on 10 June the launch of the Engage & Care coalition around global social protection baselines. Beyond their commitment to providing their nearly two million employees with rights relating to parenting, caregiving, income and mental health, they intend to share their best practices and engage beyond their own boundaries to take action on these issues.
France: national campaign for employment of older workers launched Initiatives from the public authorities and other stakeholders On 29 April, the French labour ministry organised a major conference on the employment of workers aged 50 and over in the country. This initiative marks the start of a national campaign to change practices, legislation and attitudes towards older workers.
France: major social impact of agri-food imports (study) Frame of reference/standards A study published by NGOs and a think tank has shone a spotlight on the social and environmental consequences in the countries producing 13 products imported by France, including coffee, cocoa, soybeans, tomatoes and bananas. The authors believe that the European Green Deal standards could remedy this, provided they are not watered down too much by the omnibus package.
Sweden: insurer Folksam offloads Tesla shares due to its anti-union stance Corporate practices On 2 May, the Swedish insurer Folksam (3,524 employees) announced that it was selling all of its shares in Tesla. It cites issues at the American car manufacturer owned by Elon Musk with regard to workers' rights in Sweden. The company has been in conflict with the Swedish trade union IF Metall for over a year due to its refusal to negotiate a collective agreement on salaries.
Global trade union skills centre launched on due diligence obligations Initiatives from the public authorities and other stakeholders On 19 March, the global union confederations UNI Global Union (services) and IndustriAll (industry/energy), together with the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) and the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, a political foundation of the German Social Democratic Party, announced the creation of a skills centre to "strengthen workers’ rights through human rights due diligence laws". The team is currently being set up and is expected to start work at the end of 2025.
