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Unilever workers successful Ivory Coast accidental the planetary user goods elephantine is violating their corporate bargaining statement successful refusing to guarantee severance wage if layoffs instrumentality spot aft the institution sells its concern there, documents show.
British-based Unilever is selling each of its shares successful its struggling Ivory Coast unit, which employs immoderate 160 people, to a section consortium of investors led by wholesale distributor Société de Distribution de Toutes Marchandises Côte d’Ivoire (SDTM).
Unilever Cote d'Ivoire manages the user giant's home and planetary brands successful Ivory Coast, but SDTM volition lone instrumentality implicit Unilever's home marque business, according to an interior memo dated April 8. Unilever has not said however its planetary brands volition beryllium sold successful Ivory Coast successful future.
Workers began staging protests astatine Unilever offices successful Abidjan connected April 25, fearing the unit's falling turnover successful caller years and the nonaccomplishment of the planetary marque concern volition trigger layoffs aft the sale, which is expected to adjacent by June 20.
Their corporate bargaining statement with Unilever, seen by Reuters, states that successful the lawsuit of layoffs associated with disposing of its Ivory Coast business, Unilever volition springiness employees severance wage adjacent to "one period of mean gross wage per twelvemonth of seniority, with a maximum of 18 months."
The bargaining agreement, dated from 2004, was confirmed by absorption successful 2007 and remains valid, according to Lex Ways lawyer Soualiho Lassomann Diomande, who represents section staff.
The statement besides pledges "medical sum for a maximum play of six months."
A Unilever spokesperson did not remark connected the agreement.
However, successful a gathering astatine the Labor Inspectorate successful Abidjan connected April 25, the caput of Unilever Cote d'Ivoire, Arona Diop, stated that workers' rights and salaries would beryllium decided by SDTM, and not regulated by the corporate bargaining agreement, according to minutes of the gathering reviewed by Reuters.
Unilever confirmed it was selling the Ivory Coast portion but said successful a connection to Reuters: "the projected transaction is by mode of a merchantability of shares, which does not effect successful the termination of employees' contracts."
"Severance wage is not truthful relevant, arsenic employment continues," it added.
Unilever's planetary marque portfolio has accounted for much than 60% of Unilever Cote d'Ivoire's turnover, according to 3 Ivory Coast employees, which totalled 34.6 cardinal CFA Franc successful 2023.
Since the stock merchantability excludes the astir important brands, occupation information is astatine risk, said Diomande.
Moreover, nether nonfiction 16.6 of the Ivorian Labor Code, immoderate important modification of an employment declaration requires the anterior statement of the employee, Diomande added.
"No assurances person been fixed regarding occupation security," said a Unilever Ivory Coast employee, who did not privation to beryllium named.
Contrast with Europe
The severance rights Unilever guaranteed nether the corporate bargaining statement are a batch much generous than required nether Ivory Coast labour law, according to Diomande arsenic good arsenic 2 workers interviewed by Reuters.
According to the International Labor Organization's EPLex database website, workers successful Ivory Coast are entitled to severance wage adjacent to 30% of their gross monthly wage per twelvemonth for those who person worked up to 5 years. The percent rises to 35% from the sixth to the 10th twelvemonth and 40% for supra 10 years of service.
Unilever said aboriginal past twelvemonth it would axe 7,500 jobs globally arsenic portion of a turnaround to prevention astir 800 cardinal euros ($913.12 million).
Diomande said Unilever's attraction of its Ivory Coast unit contrasted sharply with however it treated unit successful Europe.
Last period Unilever agreed to warrant its crystal pick workers' employment presumption successful Europe and Britain for astatine slightest 3 years aft the business' spin-off, Reuters reported, tripling the accustomed play successful specified deals contempt nary ineligible request to bash so.
The generous presumption agreed successful Europe bespeak the powerfulness of section unions and strict labour laws connected the continent.
Workers successful the Ivory Coast told Reuters they had asked Unilever to warrant the aforesaid conditions, including severance pay, for 2 years, 1 little than what was granted to astir 6,000 Unilever workers affected by the crystal pick rotation disconnected successful Europe and Britain.
"Not applying the aforesaid conditions successful Ivory Coast is unequal attraction and antagonistic discrimination," Diomande said.
"This is simply a superior injustice."
Published - June 13, 2025 12:52 p.m. IST
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