Government of France says Accor violated international guidelines on responsible business conduct

Following two years of investigation into a complaint brought by the IUF on behalf of affiliates in Canada and Bénin, the French government’s National Contact Point for the OECD Guidelines on Multinational Enterprises has determined that Accor consistently violated the Guidelines and that “blockages” must be overcome for Accor to be in compliance.

The determination (available on the website of the French Treasury here) follows the recent decision of the Ontario Labor Relations Board highlighting Accor’s “illegal activity”, “threats” and “false information” deployed against union supporters at one of three Novotels in the province where UNITE HERE was attempting to organize.

The statement also finds Accor violated the Guidelines by having refused good faith negotiations with the recognized union SYNOVO at the Novotel Cotonou in Bénin, whose members have been seeking a collective agreement for 12 years.