What are the terms of this agreement?
Jean-Sébastien Blanc: We have concluded an international agreement for all the Group’s employees, regardless of the country or sector in which they operate.
In fact, it was signed with the three global trade union federations that are most representative of our trades: IBB, which concerns construction and wood workers, IndustriALL for energy and PSI for public services; as well as the four representative trade unions at Group level (CFDT, CFE-CGC, CGT and FO).
This agreement is both modern and comprehensive. Modern, as it perfectly reflects the concerns and challenges of our era, such as diversity or ethics. Comprehensive, as it reasserts the commitments made during past agreements, it grants additional rights to employees, and thus marks progress for international employees through the implementation of a common foundation of social rights. For example, the ENGIE CARE programme establishes a shared social protection base benefiting all Group employees in terms of parenthood, with 14 weeks of maternity leave and 4 weeks of paternity leave, both fully paid; in case of death or disability with the payment of a minimum of 12 months of salary, or hospitalization.
Another key element of this agreement is the creation of an international forum for social dialogue, which will be held once a year and will allow us to discuss the Group's social responsibility strategy, among other topics.
How does this agreement tie in with our social policy and our purpose?
J-S B.: It is perfectly in line with our desire for social dialogue, an area in which ENGIE has fostered a strong culture over time. Our purpose, which is centred around the energy transition, goes hand in hand with our social responsibility. We must achieve a level of social excellence that is on a par with our environmental requirements. Moreover, this gives meaning to the global action of employees and strengthens our sense of belonging. The inclusivity of this agreement is ensured by providing a standard level of services – which are of high quality since they are modelled after French and European standards – to all women and men within our teams, in all subsidiaries and countries. And it places ENGIE among the ranks of major groups with international social agreements.
How will this agreement be deployed?
J-S B.: This agreement will be promoted to all the Group’s entities by the HR department and Management.
A first international forum will be held in the second half of 2022. This meeting has a vital purpose as it will bring together the social partners from the countries where the Group operates, as well as from all our entities. We will therefore be able to better understand the views and expectations of employees.
The Group aims to fully roll-out the ENGIE CARE programme by 2024. This deadline is due to the significant local disparities that sometimes exist in the geographical areas where we operate.