Nestlé European Works Council / Steering Committee Meeting / 3 March 2011

Top of the Agenda: Health & Safety, NCE and Remuneration Policy

On behalf of the union representatives, NECIC Co-chair Klaus Hoffmann highlighted 3 issues that have been and remain areas of concern: Health & Safety, NCE and related initiatives and Remuneration policy. Following the discussion, management Co-chair Laurent Freixe proposed that an ad hoc meeting be held on the subject of Health & Safety, adding that the conclusions of such a meeting should lead to an action plan.

The Steering Committee in March was Klaus Hoffmann’s last participation in a Nestlé EWC meeting. Faced with the unwillingness of German management to provide adequate time and resources for his trade union activities, he felt compelled to retire from active employment; soon afterward, he stepped down from his positions, including that of NECIC co-chair. Klaus’ decision to step down came as the result of mounting obstacles which were preventing him from carrying out his mandate.

Klaus Hoffmann had been a delegate at Nestlé meetings since the very first international meeting of Nestlé union representatives in 1990. The annual IUF-Nestlé meeting was transformed into a European Committee for Information and Consulation in 1996. In 2004, following the renegotiation of the EWC agreement and the creation of the Steering Committee, Klaus became a member of that body. Since 2009, he served as Co-chair of the Nestlé EWC (NECIC).

His union, the NGG, as IUF coordinating union for Nestlé, has appointed Peter Schmidt as Klaus’ successor. Peter Schmidt is regional director for the NGG region of Allgäu, where the Biessenhofen factory is located and where he has had many years’ experience defending the rights and interests of Nestlé workers. He is now taking on responsibility for Nestlé workers at national level and is assured of time and resources to carry out his responsibilities at European level through the NGG.