Unilever 2002 Annual Report Download - page 140

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Further statutory information and other information 137
Unilever PLC
Unilever Annual Report & Accounts and Form 20-F 2002
Financial Statements
Employee involvement and communication
Unilever’s UK companies maintain formal processes to inform,
consult and involve employees and their representatives. Most of
the United Kingdom sites are accredited to the Investors in People
standard. The European Foundation for Quality Management’s
model for measuring Business Excellence, with its strong emphasis
on maximising the potential of employees, is also widely employed.
A European Works Council, embracing employee and management
representatives from 15 countries of Western Europe, has been
in existence for several years and provides a forum for discussing
issues that extend across national boundaries.
The directors’ reports of the United Kingdom group companies
contain more details about how they have communicated with
their employees during 2002.
Equal opportunities and diversity
The heads of all operating companies and units in the UK
have committed their businesses to achieving greater diversity.
Every Unilever company in the United Kingdom has an equal
opportunities policy and actively pursues equality of opportunity
for all employees.
The Company has committed itself to carrying out an Equal Pay
Audit, and Richard Greenhalgh, Chairman of Unilever UK, is an
Equal Pay Champion by the UK Government. The Company is also
reviewing ways in which diversity in recruitment and selection may
be further improved.
A major initiative is underway to increase the take-up of
flexible working options where appropriate for business and
employee needs.
The Company was delighted to be awarded one of the
Government’s first ‘Castle awards’ recognising its achievements in
providing equality of opportunity for women.
Charitable and other contributions
During the year UK group companies made a total contribution to
the community of £9 million, based on the London Benchmarking
Group Model.
No contribution was made for political purposes.
Supplier payment policies
Individual operating companies are responsible for agreeing the
terms and conditions under which business transactions with their
suppliers are conducted. The directors’ reports of the United
Kingdom operating companies give information about their
supplier payment policies as required by the United Kingdom
Companies Act 1985. PLC, as a holding company, does not
itself make any relevant payments in this respect.
Auditors
Following the transfer of the business of the PLC auditors
PricewaterhouseCoopers to a Limited Liability Partnership (LLP)
from 1 January 2003, PricewaterhouseCoopers resigned on
11 February 2003 and the PLC directors appointed its successor,
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as auditors. A resolution will be
proposed at the Annual General Meeting on 7 May 2003 for the
re-appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as auditors of PLC.
The present appointment will end at the conclusion of the Annual
General Meeting.
Authority to purchase own shares
At the Annual General Meeting of PLC held on 8 May 2002,
authority was given pursuant to Article 64 of the PLC Articles of
Association to make market purchases of PLC ordinary shares of
1.4p each, to a maximum of 290 million shares. This authority will
expire on 7 May 2003. The Company has not exercised this
authority during the year.
Details of shares purchased by employee share trusts and Unilever
group companies to satisfy options granted under PLC’s employee
share schemes are given in the Remuneration report on page 55
and in note 29 to the consolidated accounts on page 111.
Directors report of PLC
For the purposes of Section 234 of the Companies Act 1985,
the Directors Report of Unilever PLC for the year ended
31 December 2002 comprises this page and the information
contained in the Report of the Directors on pages 2 to 61,
Dividends on page 147 and Principal group companies and
fixed investments on pages 128 to 131.
Corporate Centre
Unilever PLC
PO Box 68 Unilever House
Blackfriars
London EC4P 4BQ
Unilever PLC Registered Office
Port Sunlight
Wirral
Merseyside CH62 4UJ
Unilever PLC Registrars
Lloyds TSB Registrars
The Causeway
Worthing
West Sussex BN99 6DA
By Order of the Board
J A A van der Bijl
S G Williams
Joint Secretaries of Unilever PLC
4 March 2003