On 12 May, the management of the Spanish telecommunications group Telefónica and the Uni Global Union federation signed a global agreement to protect the health of workers returning to work after periods of confinement or short-time working linked to the Covid-19 crisis (see press release by UNI Global Union). As far as we are aware, this is the first agreement on this subject to be signed with a multinational company. In addition to giving priority to collective bargaining and to making sure that employees continue to work from home where possible (see ‘A question for’…), the agreement specifies the protective equipment required and the guarantees to be put in place for the various jobs being performed, in order to reduce the risk of exposure to the virus. “Our concern is to protect the health of our employees and to guarantee the continuity of our business”, explains Tatiana Espinosa de los Monteros, Global LLRR Director, Telefónica Group. “This is what prompted us to sign an agreement in Spain with the UGT and CCOO trade unions. We then agreed that it would be useful to negotiate an agreement with the UNI Global Union. This global agreement is not an agreement to be applied as it stands in all countries, but it contains guidelines for the negotiations that are due to take place with the trade unions at local level, taking account of the national context, government recommendations and WHO recommendations”.
Telefónica: Global agreement on planning the return to work in the Covid-19 crisis
Date of publication
11 May 2020
Available language
English
Country/countries concerned
European Union | Spain
Categories
Transnational collective bargaining
Other Related Documents
Inditex: Joint statement by the Inditex group and the European Works Council on the measures necessary to address the employment of middle-aged people and support age diversity
Vinmonopolet: Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IUF
Eni: Global Framework Agreement on International Industrial Relations, Corporate Social Responsibility and a Just Transition
Other IR Share Services
We are called upon to devise training programmes based on needs expressed by a number of companies; we publish analyses and create tailor-made training activities for groups, works councils, trade unions and law firms. Our most recent projects are described here
IR Notes
The IR Notes newsletter gives everyone in Europe access to an independent, reliable and impartial source of information on topics involving industrial relations.
IR Training
Members of the IR Share team are regularly called upon to devise training courses. We deliver these either directly or working together with partners, to ensure that the training is tailored to the exact needs expressed.
IR Research
As Eurofound’s National correspondent, IR Share provides information on working conditions, industrial relations and the labour market to support the EU institutions and bodies, Member States and social partners in shaping social Europe, as well as promoting social dialogue on the basis of comparative information and research.
IR Club
Since 2011, the European Works Councils Club has sought to co-construct the foundations of a European social dialogue that can meet the social and environmental challenges faced by transnational companies.
Get in Touch
Follow us on Social Media
