Danone’s response to COVID-19 gets general support from IUF affiliates

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Danone has announced important measures and significant benefits provided to all employees world-wide in a letter from the Executive Committee of Danone on March 24, 2020. The IUF has been assured by Danone that all employees world-wide have received a copy of this letter.

The letter spells out Danone’s worldwide commitments to two priorities:

–  Continue to fight against COVID-19 propagation in the food chains and ensure food supply continuity to people.

–  Retain adherence to Danone’s dual “social and economic project” by respecting the following social principles and providing significant guarantees to all employees :

• Guarantee revenue to all employees through the crisis over the months of April, May and June
• All work contracts are secured – no work contract termination due to the sanitary crisis
• In case of sick leave, quarantine or childcare, health insurance is completed by Danone to 100%
• Food Emergency recognition scheme for production & distribution teams (plans to be defined in each site)
• Adapt constantly to the production difficulties
• Allocate our teams to the prioritized activities
• Collaborate with suppliers and customers when needed to secure the end-to-end supply chain
• In case of imperative business disruption affecting materials supply or workforce availability, use of all public schemes to support employment and revenue (e.g., partial unemployment), with guaranteed coverage by Danone at 100%
• Maintain existing training plans to upskill and reskill employees toward priority activities

Many of these guarantees arose through consultations and negotiations across the Danone Company with IUF affiliates that represent Danone workers.

Danone’s response to COVID-19 crisis shows that working together with trade unions and their representatives, companies can set high standards in ensuring that their workers’ health and safety at work and their income and job security can be protected.

Please find here the full content of the company’s letter to all Danone employees.