Unilever 2009 Annual Report Download - page 68

Download and view the complete annual report

Please find page 68 of the 2009 Unilever annual report below. You can navigate through the pages in the report by either clicking on the pages listed below, or by using the keyword search tool below to find specific information within the annual report.

Page out of 153

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
  • 13
  • 14
  • 15
  • 16
  • 17
  • 18
  • 19
  • 20
  • 21
  • 22
  • 23
  • 24
  • 25
  • 26
  • 27
  • 28
  • 29
  • 30
  • 31
  • 32
  • 33
  • 34
  • 35
  • 36
  • 37
  • 38
  • 39
  • 40
  • 41
  • 42
  • 43
  • 44
  • 45
  • 46
  • 47
  • 48
  • 49
  • 50
  • 51
  • 52
  • 53
  • 54
  • 55
  • 56
  • 57
  • 58
  • 59
  • 60
  • 61
  • 62
  • 63
  • 64
  • 65
  • 66
  • 67
  • 68
  • 69
  • 70
  • 71
  • 72
  • 73
  • 74
  • 75
  • 76
  • 77
  • 78
  • 79
  • 80
  • 81
  • 82
  • 83
  • 84
  • 85
  • 86
  • 87
  • 88
  • 89
  • 90
  • 91
  • 92
  • 93
  • 94
  • 95
  • 96
  • 97
  • 98
  • 99
  • 100
  • 101
  • 102
  • 103
  • 104
  • 105
  • 106
  • 107
  • 108
  • 109
  • 110
  • 111
  • 112
  • 113
  • 114
  • 115
  • 116
  • 117
  • 118
  • 119
  • 120
  • 121
  • 122
  • 123
  • 124
  • 125
  • 126
  • 127
  • 128
  • 129
  • 130
  • 131
  • 132
  • 133
  • 134
  • 135
  • 136
  • 137
  • 138
  • 139
  • 140
  • 141
  • 142
  • 143
  • 144
  • 145
  • 146
  • 147
  • 148
  • 149
  • 150
  • 151
  • 152
  • 153

Labour standards
Between 2006 and 2009, four complaints were brought to
Unilever's attention by the International Union of Food,
Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied
Workers' Associations (IUF) relating to our operations in India and
Pakistan. These complaints concerned site closure (Sewri factory,
India), freedom of association and collective bargaining (Doom
Dooma factory, India) and the use of temporary and contracted
labour at our factories in Pakistan (Rahim Yar Khan and
Khanewal). A further complaint regarding a supplier’s factory in
Turkey was submitted by the Turkish transport union TUMTIS
in 2008.
Under the terms of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational
Enterprises, the unions referred their complaints to the OECD's
National Contact Points in the UK and Turkey for investigation.
Four of the complaints have been resolved:
• The TUMTIS complaint in Turkey was settled locally in January
2009;
• Unilever Pakistan reached agreement with the IUF to settle the
dispute at Rahim Yar Khan in June 2009. In October Unilever
Pakistan reached an agreement relating to Khanewal; and
• at Sewri, a settlement payment was agreed by Hindustan
Unilever and local trade union representatives (HLEU) in
October 2009.
Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2009 65
The only case outstanding is at Doom Dooma, India where the
company is seeking resolution of the issue.
Given the potential damage that these complaints pose to
Unilever’s reputation as a responsible business, the Committee
kept a close watch on progress during the year. Members urged
Unilever to address the matter in detail and welcomed the revised
approach that the Group put in place to adjust its labour practices.
Leon Brittan
Chairman of the Corporate Responsibility and
Reputation Committee
Louise Fresco
Narayana Murthy
Hixonia Nyasulu