IREM S.p.A. response to Filipino migrant worker labour rights concerns

11 July 2023 – Regarding the Rappler articles published on June 7 and 8 2023 and shared by Business & Human Rights Resource Centre in their weekly update on July 12th 2023, IREM S.p.A. clarifies as follows.

1. Contrary to claims in the articles, IREM S.p.A. has always paid its employees. All hires for the Borealis project happened under the Belgian social framework, with non-EU workers being offered a salary and amenities in line with Belgian regulations.
2. All staff were hosted in modern facilities, with double bedrooms and private bathrooms. Until the end of September 2022, our employees continued to be housed in the flats provided by IREM S.p.A. free of charge, even though they no longer had jobs in Belgium as Borealis has terminated the contracts with IREM S.p.A.
3. IREM S.p.A. is not the subject of any formal accusations from the Belgian authorities for any of its operations in the country. The company is undergoing an investigation with regard to its participation in the Kallo Project in Antwerp, for Borealis. It is our understanding that the investigation focuses on non-EU workers hired by IREM S.p.A. for this project. The investigation is still ongoing, and no conclusion can be drawn so far.
4. IREM S.p.A. fully complies with all Belgian and European regulations. The company is working openly and in good faith with the authorities, providing them with all documents and information needed. IREM S.p.A. is also in close contact with the Italian Embassy in Brussels in order to follow the developments of the event day by day.
5. Borealis has reviewed and approved all necessary documentation for workers on the Kallo Project. As a result, badges have been issued to grant these personnel access to the Borealis site.

For over 40 years, IREM has always acted in good faith and treated its workers with respect and fairness. For example, we provided Ukrainian staff and their families with housing for three months after the Borealis construction site closed and when the Russian-Ukrainian conflict broke out, we gave them a bonus. Moreover, IREM has recovered the families of Ukrainian staff at the border with Hungary to reunite them with their loved ones.

Currently, there are many inaccurate and biased statements being made that are damaging IREM’s reputation without a full understanding of the facts. Instead of jumping to hasty conclusions, we prefer to cooperate with and trust in the authorities to address this issue.