Read the public statement issued by the French NCP concluding the specific instance - 11 December 2012 | français
Read the follow-up statement issued by the French NCP - 2 April 2015 | français
In November 2010 the French NCP received a request for review from the trade union International Union of Food (IUF) alleging that Accor Group, a French multinational enterprise was breaching the employment and industrial relations provisions of the Guidelines. The trade union stated that Accor Group had denied the right of its employees to establish or join trade unions in three hotels in Canada and collective negotiation in one hotel in Benin.
It was decided that the French NCP should take the lead in this specific instance as the multinational enterprise's headquarters were in France. To support the review, the Canadian NCP provided a status report on the parallel judicial proceedings occurring in Canada.
The French NCP consulted with the parties despite the strong tension between them to address the situation in Canada. This discord led to the failure to engage in a constructive dialogue on the issue of union representation. The French NCP highlighted a decision from the Ontario Labour Relations Board which found various labor law violations by the Accor Group. After consideration of the specific circumstances and consultation with the parties, the NCP found that the Accor Group in Canada had ignored the rights of workers to be represented by unions, which is in direct conflict with the Guidelines. In a public statement issued on 11 December 2012, the French NCP urged the parties to engage in a constructive dialogue in order to resolve the issue.
To address the issues in Benin, the French NCP convened a dialogue with the parties which led to a proposed timetable for negotiations by the Accor Group in order to reach a settlement agreement. The NCP was pleased that the company acknowledged the need to set up a health committee and by its efforts to revive the social dialogue. Nonetheless, the French NCP concluded that the Accor Group did not comply with Chapter IV of the Guidelines regarding employment and industrial relations.
Since the conclusion of the specific instance, the NCP has followed how its recommendations have been implemented in Benin and Canada, regularly consulting with Accor and the trade union involved on these points. Read the NCP's follow-up statement.