On 21 November 2017, VINCI and its subsidiary, Qatari Diar VINCI Construction (QDVC) based in Qatar, signed an agreement with Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI), covering human rights at work, accommodation, and issues related to migrant workers’ fair recruitment and employment rights. The agreement applies to all workers employed by QDVC in Qatar and aims to promote human rights due diligence for subcontractors.
The agreement contains commitments regarding recruitment, labour migration and the provision of information to workers on working conditions prior to their departure for Qatar (including the delivery of written employment contracts in the workers’ native language). In terms of employees’ working conditions, the agreement aims to safeguard decent working conditions, particularly with regard to safety (with the goal of zero occupational accidents), and employment conditions. The agreement also includes the right for workers to return to their homeland at any given time, irrespective of the reason, with the costs covered by the company, as well as the implementation of a workers’ representation body. Furthermore, it addresses the topic of migrant workers’ accommodation conditions.
The company must rely on due diligence procedures in order to extend these rights to workers employed by subcontractors. Similarly, health and safety policies must be applied for all workers equally, including those of subcontractors.
As a means of safeguarding these rights, the agreement highlights that QDVC is equipped with a complaints procedure. If grievances cannot be resolved locally, they can be brought to the so-called “reference group” – a group responsible for the monitoring of the agreement, composed of representatives from the agreement’s signatories. The reference group can decide to launch joint programmes for the employee representatives on labour rights, health and safety, complaints procedures, and the development of skills. Furthermore, QVDC is to be audited on a bi-annual basis (or more often if necessary), by an independent third party that the reference group selects. In cases where serious violations of the agreement’s commitments are not resolved locally, VINCI can trigger an independent third-party audit.