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	Questions transmitted by UGICT CGT trade-union November 20, 2003 After 11.20.03 shop-stewards’/HRM meeting UGICT CGT trade-union informs you November 26, 2003 All the articles for Working conditions

After 08-19-04 shop-stewards’/HRM meeting

UGICT CGT trade union informs you

Request for a 2.5 % over the board wage rise for year 2004: the only way to stop downward trend in the purchasing power of our wages

Although the cost of living has been rising over the last twelve months, causing a new downfall in our purchasing power, HRM makes no effort to justify its negative answer to our request for an over the board wage rise. It is clear now that if no 2.5. % over the board wage rise for all employees for 2004 is granted, employees will suffer a new loss in their purchasing power this year.

Individual salary rises: report and additional measures

HRM does not deny that its instructions concerning each employee being informed during an interview with his/her supervisor of this supervisor’s decision to grant him/her an individual wage rise or not have not been complied with in several departments.
HRM made the following report, answering (or not) our questions concerning individual salary rises granted in 2004:

  percentage of the total payroll allocated to individual salary rises in July: 2.9 % for engineers and supervisors, 1.5 % for technicians and clerks, ditto for executives (supervisors with annualized earnings) and formerly-Coflexip employees, for whom salary rises were in January.

  number of employees with a salary rise, number of persons promoted to next position number: HRM will not indicate the number of promotions and indicates that 1194 individual wage rises occurred in July and 491 in January (but will not indicate the staff considered, thus preventing calculation of the %).

  number of employees who received a bonus, if any, and min., average and max. amount: no answer,

  minimum, average and maximum amount of individual wage rises per category (Technicians and Clerks, Engineers and Supervisors): no answer,

  number of employees having received no individual wage rise in three years or more and percentage of these employees having received a wage rise on July 1st, 2004: No wage rise in 3 years or more = 16 persons, 6 Engineers/Supervisors and 10 Technicians/Clerks (outside annualized executives and ex-Coflexip), plus 2 annualized executives and 1 ex-Coflexip employee,

  percentage of beneficiaries of an individual wage rise per age group, gender and per category: no answer,

  number of promotions to Supervisor position (indicating men/women and departments concerned): 10 promotions to Supervisor position (6 men, 4 women).

HRM confirmed that it made promotions to next position number granting a wage lower than minimum wage indicated in the Yearly HR Report for year 2003. It indicated that it had hired employees during the first half of 2004 at wages lower than actual minimum wages in 2003 and that it considered that it was only bound by wage harmonization union contracts signed the previous years.

Thus, some promotions have been made at a depreciated wage level. HRM admitted that it wilfully lowered the minimum wage of some positions, which means that it depreciated jobs at TECHNIP.

HRM did not answer our request for an additional budget for additional measures in order to accept appeals made.

Application of the new payroll deductions for ARRCO retirement pension contributions

Application of the new contribution rate for ARRCO retirement pension plan is to be applied from January 1st, 2005 according to the union contract signed for harmonization of benefits of TECHNIP and of COFLEXIP employees.

Workload

HRM declares that the workload is 758 000 h to be completed before the end of year 2004 at Paris la Défense.
According to HRM, in case of spot periods of reduced workload in some departments (workload reduced to 70 %) suitable arrangements will be made, such as training courses, adjusted working hours according to rules governing yearly work schedule, leaves for delayed vacations of preceding years, that will be sufficient to balance such spot periods of reduced workload.

HRM considers that the present situation, due to several expected contracts being delayed, does not exceed the current downturns attached to our cyclical profession.

  Contrary to our suggestion, HRM confirms its ultra-selective policy regarding projects to be considered for proposals, even in the case of a proposal following a FEED made by us,

  HRM rejects our request for re-focussing the activities of the amply dimensioned Group Executive Management staff, today focussed on the production at any cost of generous dividends for institutional investors (pension funds, etc.) and on stock exchange communication to return to engineering, i.e. to obtaining contracts.

Information of employees and residents concerning the use of images from surveillance cameras

HRM guarantees that legal information panels will be affixed in TECHNIP tower main lobby during the month of September.

Deletion of the internet filtering system

Further to our repeated requests, internet filtering by Websense has been restricted to domains prohibited by the Standards of Conduct for Employees and allows again utilization of search engines in all professional domains.

Avenance restaurant in TECHNIP tower

HRM declares that there was only one young intern in the restaurant during summer months and that all persons in the staff are employees.

It does not answer our question concerning transfers to other towers against employees’ will, only declaring that it has no action on staff appointments and departures in the restaurant: this argument is not very convincing.

Blistered paint cannot be repaired since expert studies are expected, but HRM accepted to cover the damaged wall for health purposes, in order to prevent paint flakes from flying into plates. However no action has been taken yet.

HRM indicated that triple-action filters have been provided in all water dispensers and that these filters will be replaced every year.

RR floor

HRM indicated that two air conditioning units should be installed in the office supplies department on RR floor, where air extraction is provided and where fans have been installed. It noted that this room presented dust release problems, due to unprotected brittle ceiling fireproofing material and it indicated that a solution should be found.

The new door for the goods delivery access, which was discussed for months, should be installed at the beginning of October. Lock doors will be added to the fire door already installed. A wire netting door will be provided, with a badge reading system to control access, at the level of the mail department room, allowing post office personnel to access before the badge controlled door, employees and residents in TECHNIP tower entering elevator-side, and thus remaining within the access-controlled premises.

New school year

As every year, HRM granted one paid hour on the first day of the new school year to parents of children up to French 6th grade included.

Remodelling plan for TECHNIP tower restaurant

HRM indicates that a feasibility study is in progress. As soon as options will be defined, UGICT CGT asks that all users of the restaurant should be consulted on the choice to be made between these options.

Regarding the main lobby remodelling plan (limited to changing the furniture, fixing a clock and improving the work stations of security staff at information desk), no performance schedule has been set for this (very limited) project.

Defective light and sound signals on elevator floors

These signals are defective on many floors in TECHNIP tower. HRM indicates that a repair scheme has been adopted and we have obtained that a systematic check should be made during the second half of September.

Renewal of the discount computer operation

Although the IT equipment purchased by employees at discount price (according to salary bracket ) in 2000 is now four years old and cannot be easily repaired, HRM refuses to launch a similar operation. It could at least grant to Employees the Group’s purchase price for PC’s.

Employee handbook

HRM answers that updating of the newly hired employee’s handbook is in progress but it cannot forecast any date of issue.

Publishing of NRE and Global Compact reports

HRM pretends not to be informed of information to be included in the social part of the NRE report, and in the report on measures implemented to improve compliance with the 10 principles of the Global Compact, in particular regarding labor rights in the Group. Actually, it appears that subscription to the Global Compact in 2003 was just made to impress the press and to enhance the Group’s image. There is not the least trace of any measure to demonstrate actual application of the principles of the Global Compact regarding right to organize and the right to collective bargaining in all the entities in the TECHNIP Group in particular.

The European Works Council, which was to meet for the first time in September further to the signature on June 30 of the agreement approved by all the members of the Special Negotiation Body, is once again at a standstill: regarding labor issues in the Group, HRM confirms once again that it has no improvement to present to demonstrate its social ethics, but that, on the contrary, it keeps putting its foot on the brake.

Information on remodelling and moving work in offices

HRM indicates that is asked subcontractors to limit noise in offices. HRM does not see why employees concerned by hammer and drill noise in their open plan offices should be informed. It indicates that department heads are informed.

Transmission of the report on asbestos in CB3 building

HRM does not want the report on asbestos in our former head office at La Défense to leave its office, fearing "inappropriate release of inadequately understood information". This confirms how distrustful HRM is towards employees’ representatives. Employees’ representatives are only allowed to consult the report (filling a ring-binder) in Corporate Services office. We will do that in a first stage, and we will inform you.

Return of personnel from Delalande to TECHNIP tower in September

In July, HRM declared that it had signed a new lease in June, which could be terminated any month, with a six months notice. This termination was immediate, since HRM indicated in August that TECHNIP will leave premises at the end of year 2004. Out of the 300 employees HRM declared to be present in June, only 200 remained at Delalande in August, and only 100 will remain by the end of September.

Unfreezing of employees’ profit sharing benefits

HRM will inform employees and convene a meeting with union representatives (to be held this afternoon) concerning application of law n°2004-502 dated August 9 allowing early unfreezing of employees’ profit sharing benefits and of company saving scheme.

Modification in the Group’s executive management

HRM declared that no change is scheduled in the Group’s executive management.

Negotiation scheduled during summer holidays

Although it wanted to rush negotiations on redundancy payment during summer holidays, further to its unilateral termination in October 2003 of union contracts on redundancies, HRM had to wait for the end of August. Terminated contract is still valid until 13 January 2005: there is no hurry. Next meeting between HRM and union representatives is scheduled for next Tuesday 7 September.

Mutual health insurance: report on accounts in compliance with the union contract

The report was transmitted by HRM in August and this report will be analyzed during next meeting, to be scheduled in September.

Holidays and RTT (working time reduction) days fixed by HRM

HRM should confirm in September that the Xmas holidays should use 5 out of the 6 fixed RTT days (Dec. 27 to 31). HRM should answer within a few days regarding the dates of legal and extra holidays in 2005.