Read the Initial Statement published 25 October 2021: English
Read the Final Statement published 25 April 2023: English
On 24 December 2020, three trade unions, Building and Wood Workers International (BWI), the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers of North America (IAMAW) and Facket För Skogs-, Trä och Grafisk Branch (GS Facket), submitted a specific instance alleging that Inter IKEA Holding B.V., a holding company registered in the Netherlands and controller of the intellectual property of IKEA, had not observed the Employment and Industrial Relations (Chapter V) provisions of the Guidelines. Specifically, issues relate to a lack of timely information, consultations, and discussion with trade unions prior to the closure of an IKEA facility in the United States. Additionally, a lack of meaningful engagement between the parties regarding an existing International Framework Agreement between them.
On 25 October 2021, the Dutch NCP published an initial statement, accepting the specific instance and concluding that it merited further consideration. Both Parties accepted the NCP’s offer of good offices. The NCPs of the United States and Sweden acted as support.
A dialogue between the Parties took place, additionally with the participation of the Swedish subsidiary Ikea Industry AB and, on 25 April 2023, the Dutch NCP published a final statement concluding the specific instance as an agreement had been reached. The agreement was reached between the submitters and the Swedish subsidiary while the Dutch parent company was not a signatory. The Parties agreed to keep the content of the agreement confidential.
As the notification was directed at the parent entity, but it was not a signatory to the agreement, the NCP made recommendations to both corporate entities to draw their attention to relevant paragraphs of the Guidelines, e.g. the responsibility to meaningfully and timely involve stakeholders in the case of major business decisions, such as a closure, and the responsibility of each corporate entity within a group to ensure the entire group acts in line with the Guidelines.
The Dutch NCP will aim to conduct of a follow up one year after the publication of the final statement.