Labour relations

The group recognises the rights to join a trade union, to establish workers’ representation and the performance of the related roles (including the right to collective bargaining), in observance of the right to freedom of association and applicable local regulations and practices.

In the event of company restructuring (mergers, acquisitions, etc.) we safeguard our people by assigning, where necessary, new roles with targeted job-related training or retraining, according to each person’s skills and experience.
From an organisational perspective, company restructuring may involve redundancy schemes, voluntary regional transferrals or relocations to other group companies. Employee representatives are duly informed of significant organisational changes at least 30 days prior to the implementation of those changes (25 days in the event of company transfers). The only exception is France, where the minimum notice period is eight days before official communication to the unions.

At European level, we dialogue with the European Works Council (EWC), a body that represents 61,278 of the group’s workers, or 78.2%, in line with the regulations to improve workers’ rights to information and consultancy in companies that operate across the EU.