Umicore and IndustriALL renew sustainable development agreement
October 17, 2019
Global materials technology and recycling group Umicore, headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, has renewed its Global Framework Agreement on Sustainable Development for four years with IndustriALL Global Union, an organisation representing 50 million workers in the mining, energy and manufacturing sectors.
The agreement is said to reaffirm Umicore’s commitment to sustainable development and its pursuit of economic, environmental and social objectives. It covers human rights (including collective bargaining and equal opportunities), safe and healthy working conditions, environmental and supply chain matters, and digital transformation.
The global framework agreement was first signed in 2007 and renewed in 2011 and 2015. This will be its third renewal. The latest agreement reportedly contains a number of additions and improvements, including a new section on violence and harassment at work, in line with the newly adopted ILO Convention 190, and stronger language on suppliers and subcontractors.
Marc Grynberg, Umicore CEO commented, “This agreement reaffirms our commitment towards sustainability in which the engagement of all Umicore employees is vital. The dialogue with IndustriALL plays an important role in our quest to be a front-runner in all aspects of sustainability, particularly along the supply chain of critical materials.”
Valter Sanches, General Secretary of IndustriALL Global Union, stated, “IndustriALL Global Union is pleased with the long-standing partnership with Umicore in the context of this global framework agreement. We look forward to continuing our joint work with a new motivation over the new improvements in the agreement, especially the provision on due diligence in the supply chain.”
