Mutual Respect and Open Dialog
Openness is one of BASF’s corporate values. That is why our stakeholder dialog is based on honesty, respect and mutual trust. This also applies to dialog with our employees.
Our employees have the opportunity to form, join and support legally recognized trade unions or employee representatives. These are entitled to represent employees and their interests in collective bargaining. BASF upholds these rights and has anchored this in the Group-wide guideline on compliance with international labor norms.
Trust-based cooperation with employee representatives is an important component of our corporate culture. Our open and continual dialog lays the foundation for balancing the interests of the company and its employees, even in challenging situations. In 2023, this underpinned our efforts to manage the effects of the war of aggression in Ukraine and the corresponding increases in energy prices, as well as the current restructuring programs. In the case of organizational changes or if restructuring leads to staff downsizing, for example, or in the case of other codetermination-relevant topics, we involve employee representatives at an early stage to develop socially responsible implementation measures. Our actions are aligned with the respective legal regulations and the agreements reached, as well as operational conditions.
By focusing our discussions on the local and regional situations, we aim to find tailored solutions to the different challenges and legal conditions for each site. The BASF Europa Betriebsrat (European Works Council) addresses cross-border matters in Europe. In South America, we foster continual dialog with employee representatives in the Diálogo Social.
We are also committed to social dialog with employee representatives where freedom of association is not guaranteed under national law to the same extent as in European legal systems.