Building strong labor relations
We believe that paying fair wages and benefits, as well as reasonable working hours, is critical to the creation of a motivated and dedicated workforce, and we respect the right of our workers to join a union and to participate in collective bargaining without interference or fear of retaliation.
Open and honest communication is at the heart of our approach to industrial relations. We utilize a range of communication channels to facilitate transparent two-way communication between our people (regardless of union member status) and management. Our Human Rights Policy commits us to upholding the International Labor Organization (ILO) Core Conventions and we seek to engage with trade unions in an honest and constructive way, and we expect the same of our contractors and business partners.
We encourage all our senior executives, not just our Human Resources team, to be involved in key industrial relations discussions. Some of the ways we engage with our employees are:
- Town hall meetings at each site;
- Digital platforms, including the intranet and employee hotline; and
- Trade union representation at quarterly meetings with senior management.
We have collective bargaining / enterprise agreements (covering wages, benefits, and other employment terms) with unions. Approximately 43% of our employees are union members or have collective bargaining agreements in place.
We offer competitive and locally appropriate benefits that range from healthcare to interest-free loans. We follow a country-based approach to determining salary bands, compensation, and benefits, and we take care to ensure our workers make more than the national minimum wage in the countries or regions in which we operate.