First European health and safety agreement signed at Clariane Transnational industrial relations On 26 June, French retirement home group Clariane signed a health and safety agreement with its European Works Council and the European Federation of Public Service Unions. The agreement extends a protocol signed in 2021 and incorporates mental health into the text that serves as a framework for the group's national subsidiaries in Europe. Mathilde Tabary, the company's director of social relations, told mind RH about the challenges of implementing the agreement.
Confidentiel [mind RH news] Veolia strikes European agreement on diversity and inclusion Transnational industrial relations Veolia, the French multinational providing water, energy and waste recycling management services, is to sign a European framework agreement on diversity and inclusion with the European Federation of Public Service Unions. It will create a right to paid leave in cases of domestic violence and commits the group to LGBTQ+ rights. The agreement comes as Veolia adjusts to the European Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and comes at a time when large international companies are renouncing their policies in these areas under pressure from the Trump administration.
Safran establishes European social base for superior work-life balance Transnational industrial relations On 17 February, the management of Safran and the IndustriALL Europe trade union signed a European framework agreement for a better work-life balance. This text, applicable for a period of five years, establishes a common social base for its 60,000 employees in the European Union, Switzerland, Norway and the United Kingdom. Its objective is to build a supportive framework that facilitates parenthood and providing care to relatives.
Suez: new European agreement on health and safety signed Transnational industrial relations At the beginning of October, water and waste management group Suez signed a new European agreement on health and safety. Though such agreement no longer existed following the absorption of a large part of the company's activities by Veolia, this text takes up the principles of the previous agreement and adds new commitments on mental health, prevention of harassment, extreme weather conditions and domestic violence. It has been signed by two European trade union organisations: the European Public Services Union (EPSU) and IndustriAll Europe.
Réglementaire United Kingdom: carer’s leave allowance takes effect National legislation The Carer’s Leave Act 2023 came into force on 6 April. Employees are now entitled to one week’s unpaid leave a year to look after a “dependant”…
Safran steps up commitment to the professional integration of young people with renewal of European agreement Transnational industrial relations Safran and the trade union federation IndustriAll Europe have renewed for the second time the European agreement on the professional integration of young people, which has bound the two parties since 2013. The agreement reinforces the group's ambitions on work-study students and interns and will see it diversify its recruitment methods.
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.
