News

The Brazilian affiliate Contracts Cut hosted this meeting the day before its 8th Congress.



This is the second Alliance meeting since its creation in 2009. The UNI Carrefour Global Union Alliance is a network of trade union affiliates represented in Carrefour.



At the heart of all the debates, there was a trade union victory, with the setting up of a trade union structure in Carrefour Colombia, a country where the fundamental freedom of association is constantly breached. For more information on this topic: http://www.uniglobalunion.org/Apps/iportal.nsf/pages/sec_20081016_gbguEn?OpenDocument&exURL=http://www.uniglobalunion.org/Apps/UNINews.nsf/vwLkpById/5C1B5976A1BBB081C1257948004BCB77?OpenDocument



The UNI Alliance welcomes that after two years of regular requests, the company management has finally expressed its support to the principle of a renegotiation. In order to develop a new agreement that reflects our joint concerns and challenges and lays out modern commitments for conflict resolution and cooperation, concrete exchanges and work between UNI and management are required.



UNI is very concerned by the franchising policy of Carrefour that has proved very efficient regarding royalties paid back to the Group but does not foresee principles on quality employment and respect of fundamental rights.

In addition, the merchandising and outsourcing of services and activities have been enhanced to such an extent that the Alliance feels the need to express its strong criticism of unfair treatment and discrimination practices between workers pay and conditions in different business units.



Regarding industrial relations, significant progress has been made in favour of the respect of freedom of association with commitment to social dialogue in Carrefour in several countries including Colombia, Romania and Turkey. UNI has sent delegations to Spain and Poland to better assess the challenges and to push for solutions. Unfortunately, the investigations prove that Polish and Spanish affiliates have been confronted with anti union behaviour by local management. These situations are intolerable and need to be changed.



Since 2009, Carrefour’s top management has put financial objectives on European countries management like Belgium, Italy and Poland that have led to massive cuts in outlets and jobs. The UNI Carrefour Global Union Alliance is aware that the company is also investing in Europe but Carrefour workers continue to pay the price for the savage competition and economic turnover. The Alliance wants to anticipate potential restructurings in order to avoid social costs.



For the first time in 2011, Carrefour management did respect the legislation on workers’ information and consultation at European level but refused to expand dialogue to the global level. UNI cannot accept that the voice of workers from America and Asia be ignored. A re-negotiated Global agreement should provide a global dialogue framework for such occasions.

UNI together with the E.W.C. has rejected and denounced the DIA spin off, a global divestment that has impacted more than 40.000 workers in the world.

For more info:

http://www.cut.org.br/acontece/21450/seminario-internacional-antecede-8-congresso-da-contracs