Steel giant and union sign international health and safety agreement

In November 2012, the European trade union IndustriAll and ThyssenKrupp Elevator signed a new agreement on health and safety in the company’s European, African and Middle Eastern operations. The agreement puts into place a framework under which employees receive rewards for suggesting health and safety improvements that are then accepted by a joint employer/employee committee. The pioneering accord could pave the way for similar agreements in other multinationals.

Background

On 14 November 2012, management at steel multinational ThyssenKrupp and representatives of the European trade union IndustriAll Europe signed an agreement on health and safety for the company’s elevator division, ThyssenKrupp Elevator. This represents IndustriAll’s first international agreement with a German-based multinational.

The agreement covers the company’s operations in Europe, Africa and the Middle East and sets out a number of basic principles, including confirmation of the key role played by trade unions, employees and company management in occupational health and safety. The agreement promotes cooperation between trade unions, employees and company management, with the aim of improving collaboration and creating new occupational safety standards. It also confirms the importance of full employee involvement in improving health and safety at the workplace.

Protecting employees

The overall aim of the agreement is the development and implementation of a comprehensive and flexible scheme for the further promotion and improvement of occupational safety and health protection for the employees of ThyssenKrupp Elevator.

The agreement states that suggestions for the improvement of occupational health and safety are likely to cover areas such as:

• improving working conditions;

• recognising risks;

• preventing accidents, thus reducing costs;

• creating good working conditions;

• increasing motivation for health and safety and accident prevention;

• reducing follow-up costs resulting from accidents;

• creating a safer and better working environment.

Rewards for safety suggestions

Suggestions for improvements may come from a group or individuals, but must be based on a personal initiative rather than being the result of a concrete task or work order. Suggestions for improvements would be given to the relevant health and safety manager, and would then be passed on to the local assessment committee for further review. Assessments would be made on the basis that the suggestion would contribute towards:

• reducing health risks and accidents;

• reducing employee workload;

• guaranteeing quick provision of tools and working materials of appropriate quality;

• improving ergonomics;

• helping to avoid and reduce stress and psychological pressures;

• supporting environmental conservation;

• increasing the reliability of work;

• improving the image of the company, the industry, and the quality of products.

If a suggestion was accepted, a reward would be paid to the individual or group that made the suggestion. The level of the reward would be calculated at 25% of the difference between the implementation costs and the net savings the improvement made in the first year.

Employer-employee assessment

The assessment committees will be made up equally of employer and employee representatives, with equal voting rights. Employee representatives can be members of the works council, trade union representatives or members of health and safety committees. In addition to deciding whether to accept suggestions for health and safety improvements, the committees also consult where necessary with relevant experts, collaborate on deciding on rewards, and support the implementation of suggestions.

In signing the agreement, IndustriAll Europe Deputy General Secretary Luc Triangle welcomed the fact that it placed the emphasis on people as the most important component of successful health and safety management. He also acknowledged the key role played by both the trade unions and employees in occupational safety.

Commentary

Worker involvement in occupational health and safety can make a key difference to health and safety culture within an organisation, and can significantly reduce risks and actual accidents. Agreements such as this, which encourage employees to take responsibility for health and safety and to get involved in making suggestions for improvements, are of great importance, as they will pave the way for similar agreements in other multinationals.

The involvement of employees, not just in making suggestions for improvements, but also in making the decision about whether to accept such suggestions, will guarantee the transparency of the decision-making process.

Andrea Broughton, Institute for Employment Studies