22 January, 2015IndustriALL Global Union has today signed a landmark agreement with Total, the French oil and gas giant, guaranteeing employee rights across the company’s international operations.
As part of the agreement with IndustriALL, Total, which employs 100,000 workers in more than 130 countries, pledges to:
- Uphold the rights of workers to form trade unions
- Act with complete neutrality in dealing with unions and exclude any form of discrimination against employees based on union activity
- Take all necessary measures to encourage social dialogue with workers
- Recognize that health and safety of contractor and supplier employees is as important as the health and safety of its own staff
- Defend the right of freedom of expression guaranteeing that no one should be harassed on account of his or her opinions
- Ensure that maternity absences have no negative impact on employees’ pay or career progression
- Provide Life insurance for all Total employees
Furthermore, Total agrees to promote the agreement among the many suppliers and contractors in its supply chain, even going so far as to terminate contracts with those who do not comply.
Jyrki Raina stated:
“We applaud Total for its commitment to better rights and conditions for workers. IndustriALL’s agreement with Total makes it clear that trade union rights and freedoms must be upheld across the company’s operations and throughout its global supply chain. Total promises to act in strict neutrality in its relations with unions and is prepared to terminate contracts with suppliers if they breach the agreement. It sends a strong message to Total’s suppliers and provides new levels of protection for workers.
A committee including representatives from Total, IndustriALL and its trade union affiliates will meet annually to ensure the agreement is implemented.
“I am pleased to sign this first agreement with IndustriALL Global Union, which is designed to extend the Group's tradition of corporate social responsibility to all of our operations around the world through quality social dialogue and insurance coverage for employees,” said Total’s Chief Executive Officer, Patrick Pouyanné.
The agreement also abides by the guiding principles on Business and Human Rights approved by the United Nations Human Rights Council, as well as key ILO Conventions on freedom of association, equal pay, discrimination and child labour.
ILO Director-General, Guy Ryder, praised the agreement between IndustriALL and Total:
“I am pleased to witness the signature of this agreement between Total and IndustriALL Global Union, an organization that represents millions of workers around the world and that contributes extensively to the fight for better working conditions and for the respect of labour union rights. Companies such as Total have a major role to play in promoting decent working conditions in their host countries and in ensuring that their employees benefit from tangible measures to improve their work life.”
Contact: Leonie Guguen, Communications and Media Officer, IndustriALL Global Union. Tel: +41 (0)22 308 50 24 Mobile: +41 (0) 79 137 54 36. Email: [email protected]
What is a global framework agreement?
Multinational companies operate in many locations with many fully or part-owned subsidiaries, and often rely on hundreds or even thousands of suppliers.
Global framework agreements are negotiated between IndustriALL and multinational companies to protect the rights and working conditions of people at all stages of a multinational company’s global supply chain, including people working for suppliers and contractors.