building a better future - Cemex

open dialogue. These dialogues are important in order to
maintain our license to operate, generate institutional sales,
strengthen our reputation and support the development of
the communities in which we participate.
For more information, please visit www.cemex.com/SustainableDevelopment/PublicPolicy.aspx
focus on human rights
We are committed to supporting and respecting the protection
of internationally proclaimed human rights, as well as
ensuring we are not complicit in any human rights abuses.
This obligation is reinforced by our ongoing commitment as
a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact and our
membership in Foro Soria 21, an international organization
focused on social ethics and values. We are currently evaluating
the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human
Rights, sometimes referred to as the Ruggie framework, and
its implications for our business.
Pursuant to these commitments, we do more than merely
comply with local employment laws. We forbid all forms of
discrimination, do not use child or forced labor, and guarantee
the right to freedom of association, and have implemented
company procedures and training to prevent inadvertent
violations of these policies:
• Our selection and hiring process requires the presentation
of government-issued identification, as well as a rigorous
investigation of the person’s information. This process
also extends to our contracted labor suppliers in countries
like the Dominican Republic and Mexico. In fact, in
Mexico, CEMEX itself checks that all suppliers’ employees
are over the age of 18.
• As part of our prohibition on forced or compulsory labor,
we do not require anyone to perform hazardous tasks
against their will or tasks that are detrimental to their
health or wellbeing. In addition, we take measures to
prevent workers from falling into debt bondage through
company loans. For example, in Colombia we offer loans
only through the employee fund and only after completing
an analysis of the worker’s borrowing capacity and
minimum earnings. Naturally, all employees are free to
leave the company at any time.
• Approximately 19,000 employees are represented by a
union. CEMEX fully acknowledges, supports, and respects
its employees rights to freedom of association, provided
all actions are legal and that they do not interfere with
the employees’ duties and responsibilities.
• We also engage with employees through: collective bargaining
processes, quarterly meetings of the board of
directors with workers, monthly meetings by specific departments,
and individual meetings within departments. In certain
countries, including Croatia and Mexico, we host forums
specifically to gather opinions on particular issues. Employees
can also communicate recommendations and concerns
to management through our ETHOSline, several surveys the
company conducts, Open Dialogues, and Town Halls.
Additional resources
> Stakeholder Engagement
> Life at CEMEX
> Global Partnerships
As mentioned before, we have a Job Opportunity Policy to
ensure that all employees are made aware of and have the
opportunity to apply for open positions to support their professional
growth. Hiring decisions are made without regard
to applicants of race, color, age, religion, mental or physical
disability, sex, or national origin.
Our compensation packages are based on the responsibility
level of the position and not related to race, gender, religion,
age or any other protected trait. To ensure the competitiveness
of our compensation, we monitor the market base pay
and total cash compensation of comparable companies
through independent, third-party surveys.
Based on stakeholder concerns and CEMEX’s greater
understanding of the human rights risks the company may
be exposed to, we are taking steps to ensure that human
rights are respected not only across all of our company’s
operations but also to the full extent of our influence. We
are including explicit references to the Code of Ethics and
our human rights commitments in vendor and supplier
contracts, and are enhancing the systems we use to screen
suppliers’ social and environmental performance.
< previous 47 next>