Press Release

An agreement was signed with trade unions to strengthen safety and quality of work, with positive repercussions in the territories where the Group's companies operate

Today, Acea signed a Protocol on procurement with the trade unions Filctem-CGIL, Flaei-CISL, Uiltec-UIL and Cisal Federenergia, UGL Chimici Energia, USB Lavoro Privato, Associazione Capi Intermedi e Quadri. This protocol is part of the new model of relations launched last 15 May with the signing of the People and Participation Charter.

The objective is to strengthen, in terms of guarantees and quality of work, what is already provided for by the regulations in force. The agreement intends to guarantee the highest levels of legality and efficiency in the management of procurement, favouring transparency and competition; to strengthen the protection of health and safety in the workplace also through awareness-raising initiatives for a new culture of safety; to strengthen prevention, control, and verification of the regularity of procurement with respect to sector regulations. The agreement makes direct reference to the National Framework Tender Protocol for the protection of legality signed in July between Acea and the Ministry of the Interior in order to consolidate the joint commitment against potential corruption and the risks of infiltration by organised crime in corporate sectors of strategic national importance.

The protocol aims to foster a healthy economy that supports stable and quality employment, guaranteeing the rights and protection of workers employed in procurement; to promote technological and organisational innovation, also through continuous training of people; to improve productivity through a higher quality of work, ensuring benefits in the territories where the Acea Group companies operate. The building sites that the Company will open for the construction of infrastructure works, including those provided for in the NRRP, play a major role in this.

The protocol also defines rewarding criteria in tenders, such as: reducing the number of subcontracts; guaranteeing the percentage of women, young people, and workers employed on permanent contracts, as well as the number of hours of training for the staff employed; strengthening actions against accidents; applying policies to achieve gender equality; adopting welfare measures; applying the social clause to favour the protection and safeguarding of employment.

Today's signing, together with the agreement reached on 18 October that led to the internalisation, within Acea, of a group of reception workers previously contracted out, confirm, as laid down in the People Charter, the Company's intention to consolidate an evolved model of labour relations, putting the quality of work and dignity of people at the centre.