ENERGY SECTOR Brazil: Unions representing Engie workers define action plan based on GFA
Organizations that makeup InterEBE, the inter-union grouping that brings together Engie's worker representatives in Brazil, held a planning seminar for the global negotiation rounds with the Multinational French company following the Global Framework Agreement signed by PSI and other GUFs
Mayra Castro
The event, held between January 21 and 23, brought together at least 10 energy sector unions from all over Brazil representing Engie workers, some of them members of the PSI affiliate National Federation of Urban Workers (FNU).
Engie is a French multinational energy company that operates in energy transition, generation and distribution of electricity, natural gas, nuclear energy, renewable energy and oil. It operates in around 30 countries, including Brazil, and is the second-largest energy generator in the country.
During the event, which was attended by ISP Interabmérica's Regional Secretary, Euan Gibb, and the Sub-regional Secretary for Brazil, João Cayres, a broad assessment was made of the national situation, including the political, economic and trade union issues that mainly affect workers in the energy sector. Concerning the international analysis, based on the participation of ISP representatives, the leaders said that it is necessary to be attentive to the changes in the geopolitical panorama that could affect the sector with the deepening of privatizations around the world.
"We from the ISP contributed with an analysis of the international situation and evaluated the company's performance on a global level. As an international federation representing public service workers, we emphasize the importance of our participation in the process of building, negotiating and signing the Global Framework Agreement with Engie," said João Cayres.
On January 20, 2022, the Global Unions Federations, PSI, IndustriALL and the Building and Woodworkers International (BWI), signed the renewal Global Framework Agreement on Fundamental Rights and Social Responsibility signed with Engie.
"No agreement, whether local, national or global, is fully valid until the grassroots union puts it into practice collectively. This planning seminar was held precisely so that the unions could organize themselves, enforce the existing agreements and create a strategy for a national struggle in defence of decent work in the energy sector," said Gibb.
By signing the agreement, the company has committed itself to respect human, labor and trade union rights, as defined by the agreements and conventions of the United Nations (UN), the OECD and the International Labor Organization (ILO), in all its operations, including all the subsidiaries in which the company has operational responsibility, regardless of whether or not it is the majority shareholder.