Company
Solvay
Date of signature
31 March 2022 (renewal of the 2017 agreement)
Signatories
CEO, IndustriALL Global Union General Secretary
Key objectives
“That is the rationale for this agreement, through which Solvay and lndustriALL Global Union which organizes chemical industry employees worldwide, have created a structure for information and dialogue and affirming their joint commitment to good industrial and labor practices wherever in the world the Group operates.”
“Both parties to this agreement agree that the internationally recognized standards and principles contained within this Agreement will be applied at all Solvay sites throughout the world, regardless of whether or not they are required by national law or regulations.”
Duration
4 years (March 2026)
Implementation and dissemination
“Solvay and IndustriALL Global Union will cooperate to ensure the optimum circulation and understanding of this agreement by employee representatives on its sites. In this respect, Solvay will facilitate the participation of these delegates in meetings that may be organized locally by IndustriALL Global Union to help develop the social dialogue required by this agreement.”
Review and monitoring
“Solvay and lndustriALL Global Union will carry out an annual review of this agreement on the basis of indicators reported by the group as regards the commitments stipulated by the agreement.” These indicators are listed in the agreement and cover the topics of health and safety, the environment, civil and social dialogue, and suppliers.
“Solvay and IndustriALL Global Union will continuously monitor the correct application of this agreement and in this respect they will conduct an assessment through a Global Panel once a year in a jointly defined country or zone. (…)
The draft report made by IndustriALL shall be sent to Solvay within one month after the meeting. Solvay shall transmit its comments on the draft one month later it has been received. The parties will produce a joint meeting report. If there are different views, they will be placed at the end of the joint report.
Any problems encountered with the application of this agreement will be outlined in a report that will also discuss the solutions brought to bear. If the difficulties are observed locally this report will be written jointly by management and employee representatives at the site concerned and will be included in the overall review.
IndustriALL Global Union will make a presentation on the application of this agreement on a yearly basis during the Solvay Global Forum meeting convened in the first quarter of the year.
On this occasion, Solvay will present a review document on the basis of the agreed indicators and the results of the joint assessments conducted by IndustriALL Global Union and Solvay in the countries provided for under the terms of this agreement. ”
Health and Safety Visit
“An annual joint visit shall be organized to monitor the health and safety situation within the Group.
For this purpose, access to indicators regularly observed by the Group shall be transmitted to lndustriALL. The parties to this agreement may agree, if required, to supplement these indicators with other specific information.
The work is grounded on a continuous progress approach. As such, the report contain observations and recommendations for improvement. The draft report made by lndustriALL is sent to Solvay within one month after the visit. Solvay will transmit its comments on the draft within one month later it has been received. The parties will produce a joint meeting report. If there are different views, they will be placed at the end of the joint report.”
Human rights due diligence
“ln line with the different international standards on supply chain due diligence such as the OECD Guidelines for MNCs and the upcoming EU Directive, and different national legislation, Solvay and the Solvay Global Forum will create a working group to analyze labor rights in Solvay suppliers. This working group will conduct a deep analysis into Solvay suppliers in at least one country per year, investigating whether core labor rights are respected at the suppliers and seeking remediation in case of non-compliance. Information will be shared in the working group with transparency and responsibility. lndustriALL Global Union will provide support to this work.”
Dispute settlement and sanctions
The parties commit to settling disputes through dialogue, and to favouring their resolution at a local level. A settlement procedure is provided for in the event parties at local level fail to find a solution (first at national level, then at headquarters).
"ln case of a conflict and/or a need for interpretation and implementation of this agreement and/or the parties are unable to reach a solution that is appropriate to remedy the breach satisfactorily to the Parties, the Parties shall agree to seek the expert advice of the ILO or other mutually agreed third party for mediation and dispute settlement. The parties agree to abide by the final view of the ILO or other third party. ln the absence of further continuation of dispute, legal jurisdiction may intervene.”
Related texts
Global framework agreement on social responsibility and sustainable development – Solvay (2017)
Group’s practices for Subcontracting (1999)
Charter on sustainable development and corporate social responsibility (1999)
Guidelines on Social Policy in Joint Ventures (2003),
Group’ practices on health and safety of the personnel (2002)
Global Agreements on the Solvay Global Performance Sharing Plan (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018),
Global framework agreement on corporate social responsibility between Solvay and IndustriALL Global Union ( 2013)
Global agreement on minimum level of protection for Solvay Group employees in terms of welfare and healthcare (2017),
Charter on the recognition of trade union and employee representative experience (2018)
Topics
fundamental labour rights, human rights, health and safety, mobility, employability, employees benefits, non-discrimination, diversity, environmental protection, just transition, social dialogue, dialogue with civil society, workers representatives, employees alerts, inclusion, suppliers, contractors and subcontractors