situation in areas and countries in which we
do business.
The internal component, which we refer to as
'employee rights', lies within our direct sphere
of influence and is therefore our first priority.
Employee rights include: the right to equal
treatment and opportunity; the right to engage
in discussions leading to collective labour
agreements; the right to form and join unions
of one's own choice.
Through our annual measurements we keep track
of our operating companies' performance in
upholding employee rights. To help them make
an active contribution to the development of the
business, virtually all Heineken employees are kept
informed on a systematic basis of developments
within their companies. In the majority of our
companies, employees are consulted when
changes are made to the organisation. More than
half of our companies have complaints procedures.
Heineken promotes representation of employees
by works councils and trade unions. We guarantee
the freedom of labour to organise and to give
employees the right to be recognised via trade
unions as partners in negotiations about their terms
of employment. The extent to which employees
exercise that right varies significantly from region
to region, reflecting local circumstances, traditions
and cultures. In total 36 per cent of our employees
are members of a trade union or another
representative body.
Appointments and promotions are made solely on
the basis of candidates' education and training,
personality, expertise, skills and reasonable
demands. Heineken bases decisions in personnel
matters solely on objective criteria. Within
reasonable limits, Heineken respects the personal
beliefs and convictions of existing and future
employees.
Diversity within our organisation, in terms of
nationality, gender, ethnicity and educational
standard, is crucial if we are to retain our position
as one of the world's leading brewers. We take
the view that diversity in leadership enables the
company to view its operations from different
perspectives, helping us to steer our business
towards a successful future that involves more than
simply repeating the past. The male: female ratio
across our entire workforce is 82:18 and 88:12 at
senior management level.
Harassment, including sexual harassment, can
be harmful to employees' physical and mental
integrity. To guarantee a safe working environment,
we protect employees against such abuse. Many of
our operating companies have taken measures to
protect their employees; some have put
Heineken N.V. - 2004/2005 Sustainability Report