(17 January 2013) Management announced the end of the shareholders pact by July 2013. The shareholders pact between GdfSuez, GBL, Areva and others ensured the full control of GdfSuez over Suez Environment. It could nominate 9 of the 18 members of the board including the President. It could nominate the CEO. The pact came about when GdF merged with Suez and at the same time brought Suez Environment (the water and waste parts) to the stock exchange. Several of the shareholders and most notably GBL have made clear they would leave the pact and sell their shares.
The EWC met in a special session to be informed of these developments and their social consequences. Dissolving the shareholders pact has as a consequence that Suez Environment will not longer be consolidated in the accounts of GdfSuez. Management presented what it sees as consequences including for the EWC, collective agreements and European agreements for example. The EWC made clear it considered the meeting as an information meeting. And that a future meeting of the EWC needs to be arranged so the EWC can give its opinion when all information requested is available and answers have been provided to its questions.
Questions of the EWC are related to the vision of both companies regarding the cooperation in areas of commercial contracts, common offers, joint research and innovation projects, procurement, projects related to the future (City of the Future, Smart energy and environment…), social guarantees for the employees (protection of employment, but also what joint work is done regarding training and mobility, only for high level management or for all workers), French and European agreements, setting up of new EWC. The EWC proposes that the social engagements of both companies are laid down in an agreement and that an expert is nominated to assist the EWC in its preparation of its position.
The Secretariat of the EWC will follow the dossier up and consider the need for workgroups, special meetings. It will also ensure that a start can be made with the negotiations for a new EWC for Suez Environment. The EWC met on 15 and 16 January 2013, in Paris. Jan Willem Goudriaan participated for EPSU.
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