9 May, 2016On 26 April 2016 union representatives met with Total company management in Paris, France to discuss further implementation and monitoring of the global framework agreement between IndustriALL and French-based energy giant Total signed in January 2015.
The Committee called "FAIR" (Facilitate the Application, Involvement of all and regular measurement of the Results of the agreement) meets once per year.
This follow-up meeting served to examine application of provisions of the agreement and identify good practices and propose actions for promoting them. Group's results and strategic orientations were also widely discussed.
The FAIR committee is composed of representatives from trade unions affiliated to and designated by IndustriALL Global Union. Currently the committee contains one representative of IndustriALL, three Group employees from countries outside the European Union (Indonesia, Argentina and Nigeria), and four members of the European Works Council (France, Germany, Belgium and Spain).
Some of the questions raised by union delegates to the management regarded the scope of the agreement to the different companies like Hutchinson in Spain. Delegates expressed their concerns on how to guarantee the diversity in the countries where the company operates but unions are forbidden. Also the questions were raised on who controls that contractors and suppliers respect the agreement.
Global Framework Agreements (GFA) are one of the most important tools that global unions negotiate to guarantee respect for workers’ rights throughout multinational companies and their suppliers. By signing the GFA Total undertook to promote social dialogue, committed to fully respect and comply with ILO conventions 87 and 98, while maintaining strict neutrality and recognizing freedom of association for all its employees, including their right to form, join and quit organizations of their choice, as well as to promote and protect their interests in the workplace.
Total forbids disloyal communication intended to influence its employees' decisions with regard to union representation. The company undertakes to exclude any form of discrimination based on union activity in its recruitment and career management practices and prohibits any discrimination against employees or their representatives who press claims for rights stipulated in the agreement. The company also expects its contractors and suppliers to adhere to the same agreement and similar or equivalent principles. Total guarantees all employees of the Group a life insurance, covering the death’s risk for all employees.
Total is one of the biggest oil and gas multinational company with operations in more than 130 countries and nearly 110,000 employees from a wide diversity of backgrounds working in a broad range of professions. Total’s operations cover the entire oil and gas chain, from crude oil and natural gas exploration and production to power generation, transportation, refining, petroleum product marketing, and international crude oil and product trading. Total is the second largest world solar energy company and a large-scale chemicals manufacturer.