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Reporting against the UN Global Compact: Labour
Our responsibilities to employees are set out in our Business Principles and cover three main areas:
- To respect the human rights of our employees and to provide them with good and safe working conditions, and competitive terms and conditions of employment.
- To promote the development and best use of the talents of our employees; to create an inclusive work environment where every employee has an equal opportunity to develop his or her skills and talents.
- To encourage the involvement of employees in the planning and direction of their work; to provide them with channels to report concerns.
Below we detail our performance against the Global Compact principles 3, 4, 5 and 6.
Principle 3: Freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to
collective bargaining
Shell subscribes to the International Labour Organization - opens in new window - opens in a new window declaration on fundamental principles and rights at work:
- Freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining.
- The elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory labour.
- The effective abolition of child labour.
- The elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.
Employees are also free to join a union wherever permitted by law.
See the Shell Sustainability Report 2008 - opens in new window for details.
Principle 4: The elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labour
We do not tolerate forced labour within the company. To monitor whether we are living by this commitment, we require the most senior Shell representative in all countries where we operate - the "Country Chair" - to report any incidents of forced labour, through our annual Country Chair questionnaire.
Principle 5: The effective abolition of child labour
We are committed not to exploit children, through direct employment or indirectly through joint ventures, contractors or suppliers. According to our annual internal questionnaire of senior country representatives, at the end of 2008, Shell companies in all countries where we operate had procedures in place to prevent child labour.
Principle 6: The elimination of discrimination in employment and occupation
We are committed to equal opportunity, including for those with disabilities, in recruitment, career development, promotion training and reward. We use clear and objective criteria when deciding whether to hire job applicants and when assessing the performance of employees.
