New global agreement with BNP Paribas brings advances on telework, labour rights and due diligence

UNI Global Union and BNP Paribas have renewed and reinforced their global agreement to include protections for remote workers, increase trade union access and establish UNI as a key partner in the bank’s due diligence plan.

The new four-year global agreement, which covers 183,000 workers in 63 countries, was signed on 4 November at the French bank’s head office in Paris between UNI General Secretary, Christy Hoffman, and Sofia Merlo, Head of Human Resources at BNP Paribas Group.

UNI General Secretary, Christy Hoffman said:

“This agreement is a big step forward for trade union rights across BNP Paribas’ global operations and includes new protections for all its workers on key issues including teleworking, AI, gender equality, diversity and inclusion. UNI is now recognized as a partner to BNP Paribas in its due diligence processes, meaning that workers’ voices will be heard at the heart of decision-making. We look forward to working with BNP Paribas to implement this agreement and continue improving workers’ lives around the world.”

The revised global agreement, negotiated between a delegation of UNI finance unions and BNP Paribas, strengthens social dialogue and respect for internationally recognized human rights and fundamental labour rights, including freedom of association and collective bargaining. It now formalizes a firm commitment from BNP Paribas to maintain a strictly neutral position on trade unions and provides significantly improved opportunities for trade unions to meet and communicate with employees.

Sofia Merlo, Head of Human Resources of the BNP Paribas Group said:

“Our first agreement in 2018 enabled us to define a shared social framework for all our employees worldwide. The renewal of this agreement signed with UNI Global Union makes concrete and measurable commitments and enables us to strengthen the fundamental rights of our employees, while considering the important changes taking place in our societies. One of our priorities is that, in all our geographies, all our employees are treated with respect and working conditions ensure the physical and mental health of our teams, including in a hybrid working environment.”

The agreement reflects the technological transformation that is impacting the finance sector, acknowledging both the potential positive and negative impacts this could have. It reflects UNI’s priority of ensuring workers are fully involved in the way this transformation takes place. This includes new points on the use of AI and strengthened principles for teleworkers, including on trade union rights, specific occupational health and safety risks of telework, the right to disconnect and the importance of work-life balance for all employees.

New provisions have also been agreed that strengthen the mutual commitments to equality, diversity and inclusion and there is recognition of recent International Labour Organization (ILO) standards, in particular ILO Convention 190 on violence and harassment, and the inclusion of occupational health and safety as a fundamental right. 

UNI Global Union has signed over 50 global agreements and protocols with multinational companies, including nine in the finance sector. The first global agreement with BNP Paribas was signed in 2018.

Photo: Christy Hoffman (left) and Sofia Merlo (right)