How EDF plans to implement global CSR agreement Transnational industrial relations French energy company EDF reached a new global agreement on corporate social responsibility at the end of January, covering the period 2025-2030. Signed unanimously by the trade unions, it covers issues surrounding the ecological and digital transitions, provides for a study on a living wage and strengthens the agreement's governance. Mind RH has spoken to the different parties to gauge their ambitions, at a time when CSR is being called into question, as well as the challenges of its deployment.
Confidentiel mind RH news – Draft global CSR agreement submitted for signature at EDF Transnational industrial relations French energy company EDF and two global trade union federations have struck a draft agreement on social and environmental responsibility, which has been submitted to 16 trade union organisations to be signed before 28 January, mind RH understands. If signed, the text will pave the way for a global social protection floor and a decent wage for the group's 180,000 employees. It will also bring the sustainability due diligence duty and the climate into the scope of social dialogue and regulate the use of subcontracting.
A look back at 2024: international social dialogue of growing importance to large companies Transnational industrial relations While 2023 was marked at European level by the failure to negotiate a framework agreement on telework, it was the strengthening of the directive on European works councils that was in the news in 2024. Leading companies have also made commitments on topics that are still new on the scale of international social dialogue, such as supervision of subcontractors.
Exclusif Living wage becomes a corporate responsibility Corporate practices With Michelin's announcements in April, the living wage has come under the spotlight. The issue is about to become a matter of compliance, with the entry into force of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) starting from 2025, which lists pay among the data to be provided annually by companies, concerning both staff and the value chain. Although a number of companies have adopted the living wage, it is still far from being widespread, due to the lack of a common definition and the effort required to put it in place.
BNP Paribas strengthens social floor with a new global agreement Transnational industrial relations On 4 November, BNP Paribas and the global union federation UNI Global Union signed a new agreement that strengthens the social floor common to all the French banking group's 182,656 employees. The agreement also introduces new protections for employees in areas such as the use of artificial intelligence, teleworking, gender equality, diversity and inclusion. It also includes advances in trade union rights and makes UNI Global Union a key partner in the bank's due diligence plan.
Inditex global agreement extended to due diligence and digitalisation Transnational industrial relations On 10 October, Inditex renewed its global agreement with UNI Global Union, covering 165,000 employees in 215 countries, and extended it to cover the digitalisation of retail and vigilance over working conditions in franchise operations.
Lidl and Kaufland unions unite in push for global agreement Transnational industrial relations The trade unions of the Lidl and Kaufland retail chains based in Europe and the United States are joining forces to push for a global agreement between the parent company,…
H&M and industriALL Global Union bolster agreement on subcontracting practices Transnational industrial relations Nine years after a first agreement aimed at developing representation and collective relations among suppliers, H&M, the Swedish trade union IF Metall and the global federation industriALL Global Union have agreed on new commitments.…
Exclusif Geopost commits to regulate subcontracting in a global agreement National industrial relations On July 22, the La Poste group subsidiary signed an amendment to the social agreement that has bound it since 2017 with the global services union federation UNI Global Union. It brings a strong commitment to overseeing subcontracting with the limitation to a single level and the promotion of decent wages among service providers.
Casino group Cirsa signs global agreement with UNI Global Union and commits to due diligence measures Transnational industrial relations On 1 March, the Spanish casino group (14,000 employees) signed an agreement on workers' rights and corporate responsibility with the global services trade union federation UNI Global Union, for an initial period of two years. The text commits the company to enacting due diligence measures on fundamental rights and the environment, as well as to actively combating sexual harassment within the company.
