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Carrefour agreement presented to ILO (17.09.) The Carrefour European works council met in Geneva French Carrefour is Europe's largest retailer. It is also a company, which takes its European Works Council very seriously. At the meeting in Geneva last Thursday and Friday, top management discussed a variety of issues and activities with the personnel representatives. The Council members and well as the Uni representatives present commended the company for the way it approached its information and consultation obligations
The Carrefour meeting was held at the headquarters of the International Labour Organisation, in Geneva. During the two-day meeting, a group of participants were received by ILO general director Juan Somavia. Carrefour is a leading multinational in developing a dialogue and proper labour relations with commerce trade unions world-wide. Chaired by personnel director Jacques Beauchet, the works council did of course discuss the merger process, which is approaching its last stages. The recent merger with Promodes has brought many changes with it, but the total number of workers in Europe has not declined. The company has continued to be expansive and this has offset staff cuts. Much
attention was given also to the social aspects of Carrefour's
operations. Measures to guarantee food safety were dealt with, as well
as social responsibility. In both areas, Carrefour is very active. It
has signed up for the United Nations social compact and has initiated
its own code of conduct for its producers. A special foundation is
quietly engaged in solidarity projects on a global level. The steering committee of the works council met at Uni Headquarters in Nyon, prior to the EWC meeting. Michel Enguelz, Pilar Montes, Serge Corfa and Alain Goelens had the time to look at a small exhibition about labour relations in Korea. Uni Commerce has worked with Carrefour and the Korean commerce trade union to normalise the labour relations in this country, where the French multinational is an important employer. Much progress has been made. The participants to the meeting were deeply affected by the terrorist attacks in the United States earlier in the week. Condolences were sent to the families and the victims in solidarity messages to the American trade unions. On Thursday, the European Works Council joined millions of Europeans in a silent moment at noon-time. The Carrefour European Works Council is based on social dialogue between management and trade unions. Earlier this year, Uni and Carrefour signed a global agreement on fundamental rights, which among other things guarantees every worker the right to join the trade union of his or her choice.
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