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French MPs and unions write to Veolia over Sheffield dispute

They expressed concerns about the situation in Sheffield.

3 min read
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French MPs and unions write to Veolia over Sheffield dispute
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French parliamentarians and the four federation secretaries of the CGT trade union in France have written to Veolia bosses in Paris calling on them to end the dispute in Sheffield that has seen Unite union members on strike since the summer.

Nadège Abomangoli, Vice President of the French National Assembly, Gabriel Amard and Bastien Lachaud from the La France Insoumise Party, wrote to the directors of Veolia in Paris.

They expressed concerns about the situation in Sheffield, which Unite claimed has resulted from Veolia’s refusal to recognise the union for collective bargaining purposes.

The French MPs also wrote that the dispute is tarnishing the reputation of Veolia and the image of France in the UK.

The MPs alerted the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the French Embassy in London to try and resolve the issue.

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At the same time, one of France’s largest trade unions, the CGT, came forward in solidarity and wrote in protest to Veolia’s management in France.

The CGT’s four federation secretaries wrote asking Veolia to sign a recognition agreement allowing Unite to represent workers over pay, conditions and disciplinary issues.

Sharon Graham, general secretary at Unite, said: “I’m delighted that the French parliament and our sister unions in France are in full support of our campaign to win recognition for our members in Sheffield.

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“This shows that at both home and abroad, we will take the fight to Veolia until it signs a recognition agreement.

“This dispute could be over tomorrow with the stroke of pen and yet Veolia consistently refuses to negotiate and renege on their own agreements at the last minute.

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“The message to them is loud and clear – Unite will never give up on its members and will ensure we get the recognition our members want.”

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Unite launched a major campaign against union-busting at Veolia’s operation in Sheffield.

Teams of organisers have been making the company and Sheffield council aware of the campaign.

Unite also took the issue to other companies and public sector bodies that do business with Veolia, across the UK and in France.

Unite asked that Veolia respect the wishes of the workforce and signs a collective bargaining agreement with Unite in Sheffield, and for senior management in Paris to step in to resolve the dispute and end union-busting tactics. 

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Veolia made £11.7m in profit from Sheffield in 2023, while Unite said the council faces a budget shortfall of £18.1m.

This week, CEO Estelle Brachlianoff said profits were up 15% to €1.5bn, while revenue was up 6% to €44.7bn.

According to Unite, much of this comes from public contracts like Sheffield.

As the council makes cuts to local services, Veolia is paying out millions to shareholders – £763m this year, part-funded by its Sheffield profits as per Unite.

A Veolia spokesperson said: “For months, Unite has led a campaign of defamation and accused Veolia of union-busting.

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“Nothing could be further from the truth – we recognise and work well with five unions in the UK.

“We are disappointed that French MPs have made comments that are untrue and have been fed to them by Unite the Union as part of its campaign of disinformation.

“Veolia has written to these politicians to share the facts of the situation, which is that Veolia is caught in the middle of an inter-union feud between Unite and the GMB.”

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