3.2 Mapping of the Group’s major human rights risks
Identification of material issues
The Human Rights Steering Committee was set up in 2015 to undertake the extensive work required to identify the Group’s major risks. Employee consultations and discussion forums were held, in which representatives of organisations or companies outside the Group sometimes participated to share their experience. The committee also took into account international standards, specialist research, guidelines and previous work produced by the Group (such as its handbook on fundamental social rights or standards for workers’ accommodation).
Standards and conventions underlying VINCI’s approach
- Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)
- International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)
- International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR)
- Eight fundamental conventions of the International Labour Organisation (ILO)
- Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises
- United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights
This analysis of risks and issues was also informed by the human rights impact assessment commissioned by VINCI in Qatar and carried out by an independent third party, Business for Social Responsibility (BSR), in 2015. The impact assessment sought to identify the issues that were salient to the Group’s activities across different sets of codified rights. Interviews were held with key VINCI stakeholders, such as the Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI), the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the French National Consultative Commission on Human Rights (CNCDH), the Danish Institute for Human Rights, and non-governmental organisations (Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Engineers Against Poverty, Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, etc.).
In 2016, the Human Rights Steering Committee validated five salient issues, broken down into 17 specific themes. They describe areas where VINCI’s activities can have a significant impact on human rights, including those of employees, subcontractors, temporary workers, local residents and local communities.
Migration and recruitment
Working conditions
Living conditions
Value chain
Local communities
| Salient issues | Description | Themes |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Labour migration and recruitment practices | 1. Labour migration and recruitment practices Description In the course of their activities, VINCI companies may recruit migrant workers, whether directly or through employment agencies. The situation of these migrant workers can reflect a range of scenarios, depending on the conditions of their migration. Due to varying recruitment practices and national legislation on migration, risks of serious breaches of the rights of migrant workers, such as the risk of forced labour, might arise. |
1. Labour migration and recruitment practices Themes
|
| 2. Working conditions | 2. Working conditions Description This issue relates to the risks of breaches of fundamental employment rights that could result from a lack of vigilance concerning working conditions, such as wages and their payment, number of hours worked, paid holidays and employment benefits, and restrictions to freedom of association. Given the nature of the Group’s activities, employee health and safety is a separate important issue, which has been specifically addressed by the Group and its various entities. |
2. Working conditions Themes
|
| 3. Living conditions | 3. Living conditions Description Group companies may supply accommodation to workers, due to the size, location or mobile nature of certain projects or worksites. In these cases, employers must ensure that the living conditions provided to workers guarantee their physical security and safety and satisfy their fundamental needs. |
3. Living conditions Themes
|
| 4. Human rights practices in the value chain | 4. Human rights practices in the value chain Description This issue concerns the prevention of social risks among subcontractors and service providers on site and the recruitment, working and housing conditions of their employees or of temporary staff. VINCI considers that their challenges are identical to the Group’s. It pays special attention to health and safety issues. |
4. Human rights practices in the value chain Themes 14. Recruitment practices, working and housing conditions of subcontractor employees and temporary staff, and management of labour-related risks in the supply chain |
| 5. Local communities | 5. Local communities Description Construction and infrastructure operation projects can impact local communities and nearby residents. Customers, concession holders and construction companies all share responsibilities and must work in close collaboration to identify, avoid or mitigate the impacts. |
5. Local communities Themes
|
Since their validation, the relevance of the salient issues identified has been tested by various Group entities and confirmed by feedback from operational teams in different countries. Furthermore, dialogue with members of the European Works Council has not led to any change in these issues to date.