Fact Check: The bargaining agreement, dated from 2004, was confirmed by management in 2007 and remains valid.

Fact Check: "The bargaining agreement, dated from 2004, was confirmed by management in 2007 and remains valid."

What We Know

The claim states that a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) from 2004 was confirmed by management in 2007 and is still valid. According to multiple sources, including a report by Reuters and The Hindu, the collective bargaining agreement in question was indeed established in 2004 and confirmed by Unilever management in 2007. This agreement outlines severance pay and medical coverage for employees in the event of layoffs related to the sale of Unilever's business in Ivory Coast. The agreement remains valid, as stated by Lex Ways lawyer Soualiho Lassomann Diomande, who represents the local staff.

The CBA specifies that in the event of layoffs, employees are entitled to severance pay equivalent to "one month of average gross salary per year of seniority, with a maximum of 18 months." This provision is notably more generous than what is mandated by Ivorian labor law, which provides for significantly lower severance pay rates (Reuters, The Hindu).

Analysis

The evidence supporting the claim is robust. The confirmation of the CBA in 2007 is documented by legal representatives and corroborated by multiple news outlets. The agreement's validity is further emphasized by the ongoing discussions and protests from employees regarding Unilever's compliance with its terms following the announcement of a sale of its Ivory Coast unit.

However, Unilever's management has indicated that the rights and salaries of workers will be determined by the new owner, Société de Distribution de Toutes Marchandises Côte d’Ivoire (SDTM), and not necessarily governed by the existing collective bargaining agreement. This statement raises questions about the enforcement of the CBA, but it does not negate its existence or validity (Reuters, The Hindu).

The sources used in this analysis are credible, with Reuters and The Hindu being established news organizations known for their journalistic integrity. The lawyer quoted, Soualiho Lassomann Diomande, is directly involved in representing the affected employees, lending further credibility to the claim regarding the CBA's status.

Conclusion

The claim that "the bargaining agreement, dated from 2004, was confirmed by management in 2007 and remains valid" is True. The evidence from reliable sources confirms that the agreement was indeed established in 2004, confirmed in 2007, and is still recognized as valid by legal representatives of the workers, despite Unilever's statements regarding the transition of ownership.

Sources

1. Ivorian company Violets Union Rights Amid share sale- workers
2. The Federal Labor Relations Authority FROM: PAUL B. L
3. Collective Bargaining Agreement Professional and Non- ...
4. Collective Bargaining Agreements File: Online Listings ...
5. MM&P 2004-2007 Master Agreement
6. Ivory Coast workers say Unilever is violating their union ...
7. 2004-2007 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA)
8. Ivory Coast workers say Unilever is violating their union rights amid ...