25 May, 2012Italy's three national metalworkers' unions, the FIM, FIOM and UILM, also representing the International Metalworkers' Federation (IMF) - signed an Global Framework Agreement with Merloni Elettrodomestici S.p.A. (now Indesit) in December 2001.
Indesit is a large producer of domestic appliances, with subsidiaries across the globe. The GFA commits the company to comply with and promote the fundamental principles and rights at work established in conventions of the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
To supervise compliance with the Code, the agreement provides for the establishment of monitoring not only of the company's own production units and activities, but its suppliers as well, which risk having their contracts cancelled in cases of grave violations.
The company must report on the implementation and status of the agreement at the annual meeting of the European Works Council (EWC) and at the national information meeting provided for by the national collective contract. For countries which are not members of the EWC, representatives of the workers and trade unions at individual plants must receive this information from the local management.