Nestlé in society Creating Shared Value and meeting our commitments 2015

Nestlé in society:
Creating Shared Value
Nutrition, health
and wellness
Rural development
Water
Environmental
sustainability
Human rights
and compliance
Our
people
G4-10, G4-11, Market presence G4-DMA, G4-LA2, G4-LA4, FP3, Non-discrimination G4-DMA, G4-HR3,
Freedom of association and collective bargaining G4-DMA, G4-HR4
Collective bargaining and freedom
of association
We support the freedom of association of our employees and
the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining.
We operate in some countries where these rights are not
upheld. Despite the inherent difficulties and the limits of local
laws, Nestlé respects, at all times and in all places, the right of
employees to meaningful and constructive dialogue over
issues that relate to working conditions and the workplace
environment. Our people and employee representatives are
expected to make all necessary efforts to develop fair and
constructive negotiations, overcome the difficulties that they
might encounter, reach sustainable agreements and
implement them.
In 2015, around 54% of our employees worldwide were
covered by collective bargaining agreements.
Percentage of employees covered by collective bargaining
agreements (%)
2015 54
2014 51
2013 51
Fostering positive relations with trade unions
We ensure that direct and frequent communication is
established in the workplace and we respect the right of our
employees to engage in union activities.
We continuously seek areas of dialogue, discussion and
mutual understanding at all levels of our operations. This
includes communities and authorities, as well as local and
international stakeholders representing employees and unions,
such as the IUF and the Nestlé European Council for
Information and Consultation (NECIC). In doing so, we enrich
our knowledge of social realities, we share our vision and
efforts for sustainable growth and we constantly aim to find
opportunities to improve our practices.
At a local level, we seek a sustained dialogue with external
experts, such as the local ILO office, OECD National Contact
Point, employer organisations and business associations, to be
informed about relevant market trends and exchange views on
labour issues.
It is inevitable that some disputes will occur but, through
our policies, principles and values, we seek to ensure that
these are settled openly and transparently. In 2015, 31
industrial actions took place around the world. The average
percentage of working time lost due to labour disputes, strikes
and/or lock-outs was 0.024%.
We continue to work closely with the IUF, developing a
more open relationship and a willingness to work together to
tackle labour-related issues around the world. The relationship
is based around Joint Operating Principles and bi-annual
meetings that take place between the leadership teams, as
well as trade union representatives. The relationship is
supported by two working groups that focus on gender
equality for non-managerial employees and working
conditions. Both groups have analysed data from different
markets and we are currently analysing the way forward.
Number of labour disputes
2015 31
2014 29
2013 25
Number of labour disputes by region (2015)
EMENA 13
AMS 13
AOA 5
Working time lost due to industrial disputes, strikes and/or
lock-outs (%)
Group 2013 2014 2015
Total working time lost 0.004 0.016 0.024
EMENA* n/a 0.01 0.0038
AMS* n/a 0.04 0.056
AOA* n/a 0.001 0.0089
Covers 314 366 Nestlé employees.
*
Excludes temporary employees.
Zero tolerance for discrimination
Nestlé respects the personal dignity, privacy and rights of
every employee. We are committed to maintaining a
workplace free from discrimination and harassment. Our
Human Resources Policy and our Code of Business Conduct
state that employees must not discriminate on the basis of
origin, nationality, religion, race, gender, age or sexual
orientation, or engage in any kind of verbal or physical
harassment based on any of the above or any other reason.
It is each employee’s responsibility to ensure full compliance
with all provisions of our policy and code and to seek guidance
where necessary from their line manager, or from the HR,
Legal or Compliance functions. Failure to comply may result in
disciplinary action, including the possibility of dismissal and,
if warranted, legal proceedings or criminal sanctions.
Employees who feel that their workplace does not comply
with the above principles are encouraged to raise their
concerns with the HR department. In 2015, 139 alleged
incidents of discrimination in our operations were reported.
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