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11 February, 2008
ICEM French affiliate Chemical and Energy Workers Union, FCE-CFDT, hosted a group of 15 Japanese trade union leaders and five managers from Kansai Electric Power Co. (KEPCO) in France last week. The two-day visit, organised by the ICEM, followed a day-long orientation at the ICEM offices on 5 February in Brussels.
The French portion of the trip tightened the bonds of unity between French trade union leaders in the energy sector and their Japanese counterparts. The 20-member Japanese delegation visited two worksites of Groupe Véolia, a global waste management concern, and received extensive briefings on a number of labour and French social issues in the offices of FCE-CFDT.
Japanese, French trade unionists at FCE-CFDT offices
Besides presentations on French social legislation and collective bargaining relations, participants discussed European energy concerns for the future and the corresponding social aspects that are at stake. The Japanese delegation posed queries on workers’ rights inside energy companies, as well as on the union rights of FCE-CFDT members at these companies.
The Japanese delegation also asked questions regarding women’s rights at work, as well as their work-life balance in French society.
Following the discussions, the delegation toured, with FCE-CFDT delegates from Groupe Véolia, two plants in the greater Paris area. Workers at these plants tear apart and recycle electric appliance components.
Tour of Applicance Recycling Plant
The sites are located in Saint Ouen l’Aumône and Gonesse. “With respect for the environment and sustainable development, the recycling of appliances is seen as a value to the communities,” said FCE-CFDT Representative Jacques Caltot.
Groupe Véolia is a world leader in water, waste, and energy transformation, with some 270,000 employees in 64 countries. Osaka-based KEPCO is Japan’s second largest utility, and employs 30,000 workers. The company operates over 150 hydro, fossil fuel, and nuclear energy plants in Japan.