27 September, 2016At a meeting of IndustriALL affiliates at Shell, unions took a stand against precarious work and the company’s failure to recognize union rights.
The second Shell global union network meeting took place in The Hague, Netherlands, on 19 and 20 September. 50 union officials from IndustriALL Global Union affiliates in 18 different countries met to discuss the situation of workers in the countries where Shell operates.
The results of a survey conducted by IndustriALL were revealed at the meeting, showing the widespread abuse of precarious work at Shell. A full report can be read here.
Over the past ten years, Shell workers have suffered a continuous reorganization of the business, with relocation to low wage countries and outsourcing processes. After the acquisition of British Gas earlier this year, 10,000 workers were dismissed.
Another issue faced by many workers is that Shell licenses its brand to companies such as VIVO Energy, which operates in 19 African countries. This arrangement obscures the employment relationship. When workers attempt to contact or negotiate with Shell, they are told that they are in fact employed by another company. This allows Shell to project its brand to clients without taking responsibility for the workers.
The main aim of the Shell global union network, which is composed of all IndustriALL affiliates with members at Shell worldwide, is to organize workers to defend and promote their fundamental rights. Shell workers face serious obstacles to freedom of association and collective bargaining, and several cases of union busting from Shell and the contractors have been reported, with contract workers prevented from joining unions.
IndustriALL energy director Diana Junquera Curiel said:
“It is imperative that Shell abide by its code of conduct, as well as national and fundamental international labour standards, including ILO Convention 87 on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize, ILO Convention 98 on the Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining, and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.
“IndustriALL fully supports the Shell global union network’s call for Shell to allow all its employees, and those employed by subcontractors and other Shell licensees, such as VIVO Energy in Africa and Raízen in Brazil, to freely join or establish trade unions, to recognize the trade unions’ right to negotiate collective bargaining agreements, to address the unacceptable use of precarious work, and to ensure safe and healthy workplaces.”