Industrial Relations

Eni's industrial relations system is characterised by a consolidated relationship based on dialogue and exchange with workers' representatives, organised in a series of union agreements on three territorial levels:

• at a national level an Industrial Relations Protocol is in place, signed in 2001 by the major union organisations;
• at a European level the European Works Council (CAE) has been active since 1995 , the founding statute of which, renewed in 2001 and 2004, was extended for a further three years at the close of 2007
• at an international level the " Industrial Relations at Transnational Level and Corporate Social Responsibility Agreement" , signed with the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers Union (ICEM) and Italian unions, extends to a global level the dialogue with workers' representatives.

Dialogue with union organisations at both a national and local level, continued in 2010 aimed at supporting and encouraging reorganisation and efficiency processes that have produced, also thanks to specific union agreements, a rationalisation of defence mechanisms in the territories. Among the main national labour contracts, the Energy & Petroleum contract was renewed, while negotiations are ongoing for the Gas & Water contract.

At an international level, the 14^th annual conference of the Comitato Aziendale Europeo and the meeting with the international union organisation ICEM were held in June in Tunisia to discuss International Industrial Relations and Corporate Social Responsibility. During the discussions the agreement on the Comitato Aziendale Europeo, was extended and foresees the strengthening of the principles of information and consultation, as well as a temporal extension of the duration of the agreement and the mandate of the members of the CAE.

2010 also saw the launch of an "Industrial Relations" module as part of the "Industrial Relations and Diversity" project. The aim of this initiative is the realisation of a map of Eni's system of industrial relations, with a particular focus on transnational agreements, and a comparison against best practice at other leading multinational groups. The study aims to define and codify a model of best practice for industrial relations that is consistent with Eni's culture and can aspire to be adopted also in all of the countries in which the group operates. The project is a part of a broader study being carried out by SDA Bocconi that will make it possible to have a better knowledge of different aspects of industrial relations in an international context, to put in place a monitoring and reporting system on diversity and to facilitate the inclusion of criteria of diversity in the guidelines for the identification of development projects in operational contexts.