Saint-Gobain : employee relations

CONSULTATION WITH EMPLOYEE REPRESENTATIVES
The Saint-Gobain Group attaches a great deal of importance to the quality of its dialogue with employee representatives. Indeed, to raise performance within a perpetually changing environment, the Group frequently has to make rapid changes in organization and working conditions, drawing upon consultations with employee representatives. In each region, general delegations coordinate employee relations, to ensure that specific local features are adequately taken into account.
- 70.4% of employees had an employee representative body within their work establishment and, since 1988 when the Group signed a convention for employee consultation in Europe, employee relations have been coordinated at the European level with regular meetings and a permanent secretariat.
- 64% of Group employees, and 100% in France, are covered by a collective-bargaining agreement.

SAINT-GOBAIN DEVELOPPEMENT:
Teams dedicated to promoting a dynamic local economy in the regions of France where Saint-Gobain has operations.

Because the Group has such a dense presence in France, it has set up a specific organization, Saint-Gobain Developpement, which is in charge of representing the Group in the various regions and in particular to take steps to promote job creation.

Saint-Gobain Developpement is thus in charge of carrying out on the Group's behalf programs to preserve jobs, both in outplacement of employees through specialized units, and in re-industrializing and re-energizing areas.

Data concerning employee representatives are based on 83% of total Group staff in 2005.