News

Press release



Barcelona, Spain, 04-05-07.



UNI Global Union and Quebecor World, the world’s second largest printing company, have reached agreement on respecting and promoting international labour rights in the Company’s operations, subsidiaries and suppliers.



In the recently signed “Joint Statement on the Respect and Promotion of International Labour Standards” Quebecor World committed to ensuring that fundamental labour rights, derived from ILO Conventions, will be respected.



In this joint statement, Quebecor World has affirmed that it will not use forced, bonded or child labour, that there will be no discrimination in employment and that all workers shall have equality of opportunity and treatment and shall receive equal pay for work of equal value.



In addition, Quebecor World has committed to respecting freedom of association and collective bargaining. In particular, Quebecor World will respect the right of its employees to form and join trade unions and the right of trade unions to organize its employees. The Company will not prevent workers form organizing and will not dismiss or prejudice any employees because of union membership or participation in union activities. The Company also committed to respect the right of unions to represent employees and bargaining collectively on employment terms and conditions.

Turning to the workplace, Quebecor World has agreed that it will look to provide its employees with a clean, safe and healthy place to work and will endeavour to make policies aimed at creating respect at the workplace.

The Company and UNI have committed to cooperation and ongoing dialogue to give effect to their mutual interests and to ensure the implementation of the joint statement and resolve any differences.

”This Joint Statement marks a significant step forward for workers’ rights in the printing industry around the world and it could not have been achieved without the participation, support and solidarity of union members in Quebecor World plants around the world” , stated Duncan Brown, National Director of CEP Graphical, Canada’s printing union, and Chair of the UNI Network @ Quebecor World, an alliance of UNI-affiliated printing unions representing Quebecor World employees around the world.

“This is a historical accomplishment which not only commits a major international printing employer to respecting workers rights but sets the standard by which other printing companies will be judged” said Adriana Rosenzvaig, Head of UNI Graphical, the global union in the printing and packaging industry.

“This agreement illustrates the importance of global unions in the global economy” commented UNI Deputy General Secretary Philip Bowyer, who led the UNI discussions with Quebecor World. “This is the first agreement with a North American company”.

UNI is the global union for skills and services, representing more than 900 unions in 150 countries with 15 million affiliated members

Quebecor World Inc. (NYSE:IQW, TSX:IQW.SV) is one of the largest commercial printers in the world. It is a market leader in most of its major product categories which include Magazines, inserts and circulars, books, catalogs, specialty printing and direct mail, directories, digital pre-media, logistics, mail list technologies and other value added services. The Company has approximately 35,000 employees working in more than 160 printing and related facilities in the United States, Canada, Brazil, France, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Spain, Austria, Sweden, Switzerland, Finland, Chile, Argentina, Peru, Colombia, Mexico and India.



For more information, please contact Adriana.rosenzvaig@union-network.org

+41792021926

Signing the agreement: Duncan Brown, Chair of UNI Quebecor Network; Julie Tremblay, Vice President of Quebecor World and UNI's Deputy General Secretary, Philip Bowyer.