As an international business, Abengoa advocates sustainable growth on the basis of respect for Human Rights within the organization, throughout its value chain, and to the extent of its influence. The company accordingly rigorously opposes forced labor and child labor, and supports all initiatives aimed at eradicating these evils.

In the awareness of its responsibility to abide by and ensure compliance with Human Rights, Abengoa submits all its operations to assessment and review in terms of their impact on human rights, across the more than 600 entities of the Group and the five continents where Abengoa does business. In 2011, no complaints relating to human rights were received via formal channels. Nor were any activities or incidents detected involving risks as to discrimination, freedom of association, child labor or forced labor.

To assure protection of human rights for all its employees, all persons within the company are covered by supra-company labor regulations, independently of the nature of their activities or of the countries where such activities are carried out. Furthermore, as applicable under the national legal system of each country, special emphasis is placed on the collective bargaining agreements of the industry, territory, or those of the company itself, signed up to by workers, or their union representatives, depending on each case.

Abengoa abides by and supports its workers’ freedom of association, which the company regards as an inalienable right. Via ongoing dialog with workers’ representatives, Abengoa keeps employees informed about all topics that may be of their concern.

In addition, the company assures employees that they will be informed prior to any structural or organizational change, whether individually or via employees’ representatives, pursuant to the notice periods prescribed by law and collective bargaining agreements, by way of a fundamental labor right.

Abengoa abides by these principles in its labor practices and assures that its employees’ actions are in alignment with the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its Protocols.

Training is one of Abengoa’s most powerful tools in the prevention of human rights violations. Training is used to make employees aware of Abengoa’s corporate culture and the values of the organization, as set out in its Code of Conduct.

The protection of human rights extends throughout the supply chain. Before undertaking any activity in cooperation with Abengoa, the company’s suppliers and subcontractors are required to sign the Social Responsibility Code², which specifies company policy as to the protection of fundamental rights.

These preventive measures have led to an absence of the situations referred to above. No violation of human rights has arisen, whether by Abengoa employees or suppliers or subcontractors.

_{2.  More information about the SRC on Suppliers chapter and on the corporate web site}

Abengoa labor policy and its commitment to employees

In accordance with the corporate citizenship commitments acquired through adherence to the United Nations Global Compact in 2002, and the undertakings made under the organization’s own Code of Conduct, Abengoa abides by a labor-related citizenship policy founded on a management system inspired by the SA8000 international standard, which assures ongoing improvement in the company’s corporate responsibility performance. The commitments under that standard include:

• Integrating labor-related corporate citizenship with the company’s corporate strategy.
• Assuring compliance with applicable law and other commitments in this area.
• Promoting the principles of the Global Compact in the company’s sphere of action: partners, suppliers and contractors.
• Recruiting, hiring, training and promoting the most qualified individuals, regardless of race, religion, color, age, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, nationality, or physical or mental disability.
• Assuring appropriate preventive culture in accordance with occupational risk prevention policy.
• Creating the necessary conditions to support employees’ work-life balance.
• Assessing and reviewing the company’s citizenship performance, reporting transparently on citizenship-related matters, and setting in motion programs for ongoing improvement.

Abengoa policy on employee pay

The company’s employee pay scheme is compliant with laws and regulations and the commitments and principles that guide Abengoa’s policies. The scheme takes account of employee skills, performance and quality of work, so assuring equal treatment and equal opportunities. Abengoa’s pay scheme makes no distinction as to gender in any of the professional categories or physical locations where the company operates.

Comparison of average gross salary for women and men for the same professional category in different regions.

 

Percent difference between the standard starting pay at Abengoa and the local minimum statutory pay, taking account of different professional categories.

 

Abengoa operates an executive development program and a specific scheme of executive performance assessment based on the 360 methodology, which valuates a total 5 competencies on the basis of 25 questions and behaviors, such as: leadership, commitment, decision-making, strategic vision and results orientation. During 2011, 628 employees participated in the program.

This is a process of ongoing improvement that enables Abengoa and its people to track each individual’s progress and adapt the system to new strategic aims.