PSI signed EDF’s 2025-2030 Global Framework Agreement (GFA), which is one of the most comprehensive and ambitious. Luc Rémont, CEO of EDF indicated total support in ensuring implementation of this agreement, which focuses on both social and environmental responsibilities of the company. Xavier Girre, head of finance stated that the GFA is very helpful when EDF needs to approach investors. 

PSI welcomed significant advances and expressed concerns about implementation. Our suggestion is that global management ensure that local managers are well informed and equipped to bring the agreement to life, and that this be part of the evaluation and remuneration of local managers.  

The GFA is negotiated by unions representing the workers in EDF, supported by the two global union federations (GUFs), PSI and IndustriALL and by EDF management.  The complexity of the implementation reflects the diversity of the subsidiaries spread across the many countries where EDF employs staff, as well as in EDF’s supply chain of providers.  It also reflects the growing accountability demanded of global corporations, including those encapsulated in due diligence laws and regulations:

• how companies respect workers’ rights

• how they interact with their customers and communities where they are based

• their impact on the environment

• their relations with governments

• their relations with companies in their supply chain, and

• their responsibilities vis-à-vis their shareholders

• how companies assess and manage risks in social and environmental areas 

Over the course of the life of EDF’s Global Framework Agreement, the implementation in the different countries shows disparities, both at management and trade union levels. Local managers often either ignore or are not aware of the GFA.  Trade unions in EDF subsidiaries need a lot of support to participate properly and give life to a complex global agreement. 

For example, the work on due diligence and corporate sustainability requires a close relationship between labour and management, to unravel the legal and technical requirements, to build the adequate structures and to give life to these.  

This relates to the amount of time and the type of resources available to national unions, but also to the Secretariat and the implementation committee (CMDRSE, COPIL). We welcome a budget and additional hours for the COPIL to help get work done. However, the number of members and the frequency of meetings has been curtailed, and this generates some doubts about our capacity to support the unions to fully implement this important global agreement. 

PSI remains committed to working with all unions in the broad EDF family.