Engie : Global Framework Agreement on Fundamental Rights and ENGIE’s Social Responsibility

The French energy group Engie signed a Global Framework Agreement on Fundamental Rights and ENGIE’s Social Responsibility with the three trade union federations IndustriAll Global Union, PSI and BWI and the four representative French trade unions CFDT, CFE-CGC, CGT and FO (see International Framework Agreement).
The agreement adopts the usual standards applicable to global framework agreements, as well as the commitments given in the global agreement on fundamental rights, social dialogue and sustainable development concluded by Engie in 2010, and the group’s global agreement on health and safety in the workplace, signed in 2014. An innovation in the text is the invitation to its signatories to examine, within twelve months after the signature of the agreement, how international trade union federations can contribute to developing and monitoring the whistleblowing system triggered by violations of ethical commitments and of the vigilance plan, which are intended to prevent serious breaches of human rights.
This plan and its associated yearly review will be published at the “World Forum” established by the agreement, which is a body that will oversee application of the group’s global agreements. Engie is giving a global commitment to provide a basic level of social protection, including the following minimum benefits: 1) 14 weeks’ maternity leave and 4 weeks’ paternity leave, all fully paid; 2) incapacity benefit: minimum coverage equivalent to 12 months’ wages; 3) healthcare benefit: coverage of hospital costs up to a minimum of 75%; 4) death cover for all of its employees including the payment of a minimum capital sum equivalent to 12 months of gross salary. The first two of these benefits are to be implemented within the next three years, but the other two were brought forward and have already been in place since the onset of the Covid-19 crisis.
The agreement also contains gender equality commitments, including setting the goal that one “half of managerial positions will be occupied by women by 2030”. Another noteworthy development is Engie’s commitment to actively support the principles of a “Just Transition” in accordance with the guiding principles of the ILO, and “to ensure that a Just Transition, redeployment and adequate training take place, while ensuring the protection of workers’ rights and interests”.