2012 Annual Report - Italcementi Group

3 Social responsibility
3.1 Valuing people
The Group Human Rights Policy reinforces the Group commitment by explicitly supporting internationally
proclaimed human rights as inalienable rights of all the individuals. The Policy also shows the Group
commitment of not being complicit in any human rights abuse in the countries in which it operates.
In 2008, the Group has signed the Buildings and Wood Workers’ International (BWI) Agreement. It represents
a real charter of workers’ rights, valid worldwide and based on the joint commitment of all signatories to respect
fundamental human rights, promote improvements in working conditions, develop equitable industrial relations
and to foster fair collective bargaining procedures with trade union representatives. Collective labor
agreements, also embedding health and safety topics, cover nearly all employees among all countries,
remaining currently excluded some areas, like Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, where this practice is not common in
the labor market, and a few locations in the US where the unionization is not in place for reasons independent
from the company’s will. In Morocco, in line with the evolution of the local labor law regulations, collective
agreements are being planned with the relevant industry and workers organizations. The number of employees
not covered by those agreements is around one thousand among the total of the Group. Joint committees
forums between trade unions and management are part of the approach to sustain constructive dialogue with
workers and workers’ representatives. This includes also transnational initiatives like the European Work
Council, sharing periodically Group strategies and major projects. Same principles are promoted through the
supply chain.
Within the framework of the Italian network of the UNGC, the Group is working on its first tailored tool for
Human Rights Impact Assessment. It will be implemented starting from the countries of concern where the
Group operates, as identified by the Freedom House (they represent 32% of the Group revenues in 2012).
Meanwhile, the Group collects data and information of any possible incident related to human rights and
working conditions. Whenever a critical situation is detected, the Group is reacting. Still around 100 critical
situations were detected and solved in 2012, mostly related to the risk of inequality of treatment or working
conditions of contracted workforce.
In most subsidiaries, the same benefits are given equally to full-time employees and temporary or part-time
employees. Minor distinctions are applied in Kazakhstan, Morocco, India and Thailand, where some elements
like performance bonus or complementary medical insurance are differently managed.
At year end, the Group employed a total of 18,886 employees operating in more than 20 countries. The work
organization includes also working shifts in production sites, normally based on 8-hour shifts. Only in two
subsidiaries, North America and Kazakhstan, 12-hour shifts are also used for a limited number of special tasks,
but with two employees on duty and keeping the limit of 40 base hours per week.
Triggered by the enduring worldwide crisis, some restructuring activities are unavoidable. Most significant
actions, including the “2015 Plan” launched to improve competitiveness on the Italian market, will be more
evident starting from next consolidation. Restructuring plans are managed through union agreements, early
retirement programme and overtime reduction. Nevertheless, six major countries out of eleven have
experienced strike actions, for general reasons and also including those linked to the heavy social unrest in
Egypt. Trend of salaries is in line with local context, knowing that Group’s subsidiaries keep a salary policy
conveniently above local market.
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