1,313 collective agreements signed in 2021
In 2021, two Group agreements, applicable to France, were negotiated and signed with the representative trade union organisations at Group level. The first is an amendment to the agreement to promote social dialogue signed in 2019, which stipulates the annual budget paid to trade unions (total of €230,000). The second is an amendment to revise the collective retirement savings plan, which increases employer contributions for workers and office employees, technicians and supervisors.
Group performance in terms of social dialogue
A key point in the VINCI Manifesto, the Group’s corporate culture relating to diversity is derived from a policy of broad inclusion. As such, preventing any form of discrimination and promoting equality are its top two priorities. As part of this commitment, VINCI endeavours to increase the proportion of women in the Group and improve access to career opportunities for people of all social, ethnic, educational and geographical backgrounds. The Group firmly believes in promoting the diversity of profiles and ensuring that all staff can follow an adapted career path.
Several governing bodies have been formed to build a sustainable culture of diversity throughout the Group. VINCI’s Diversity Department was set up in 2004 and tasked with two main responsibilities. In collaboration with the human resources departments at each business line, the first was to design integrated tools that could be used by all subsidiaries, and the second was to raise the awareness of all business lines about the shared values of inclusion and respect for differences. The Inclusion and Diversity Department has also been working with the regional human resources Pivot Clubs since 2008 to structure the means of action implemented and share best practices identified within the Group.
In 2011, a network of coordinators was created to support the Inclusion and Diversity Department in its endeavours and ensure that its strategy is applied locally. Now made up of nearly 600 inclusion and diversity coordinators (with the number of female appointees up 50% relative to 2020), the network has since led awareness initiatives and encouraged the development of effective tools to support inclusion within each business line and region. The coordinators are trained on specific issues and regularly pool know-how during inclusion and diversity days or via their collaborative platform. Together, they aim to develop policies and initiatives that can be rolled out across the Group. In 2021, a coordinator meeting was held at the 16th VINCI Diversity Days. Overseeing the entire network, managers help them structure their influence and gain recognition for their work in favour of inclusion within the Group. Outside experts, influential external figures and internal initiators of best practices are invited to speak at network meetings. Coordinators identify and define inclusion issues within their scope. Solutions are then planned, and their application is supported by the network. In 2021, coordinators developed new ways to inform their scope about the factors that drive gender diversity and how these factors can be deployed to improve gender balance within the Group’s business lines and within staff categories. Brazil has an extensive network of inclusion and diversity coordinators. The VINCI Diversity Days gave them the opportunity to share ideas and organise a joint initiative. In 2021 for the first time on a country-wide scale, employees from all VINCI businesses in Brazil participated in a week-long event on the challenges and opportunities of diversity and inclusion. More than 2,000 Brazilian employees, invited by the managers of each business, attended daily online workshops.
In October 2021, VINCI received the Or’Normes award for its exceptional work towards achieving a more inclusive society from the French standards association Afnor, which recognises organisations that voluntarily apply standards to their business or contribute to developing standards. VINCI’s achievement is the development of the French standard ISO 30415:2021 in Human resources management – Diversity and inclusion. This guidance provides companies with tools to measure their commitments to equality and diversity, which often go beyond regulatory requirements, as well as their progress in these areas. Applicable in any country, cultural or regulatory context, and at all levels of operational maturity, the standard has been distributed to the Group’s 600 inclusion and diversity coordinators, who recognise the value of this tool in responding to the sixth commitment of the VINCI Manifesto.
To encourage inclusive management at all levels of the organisation, the Group continues to identify risks of exclusion, including discrimination, and opportunities for inclusion through three key initiatives: the Diversity label, the “VINCI fights discrimination – what about you?” digital platform, and a clear understanding of inclusion and diversity issues.
