Category: AGM 2024

“Stop the bulldozers once and for all”: Speech by Gianfranco D’Eramo, Custodi del Bosco d’Arneo

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,

My name is Gianfranco D’Eramo, I am speaking on behalf of the Italian action alliance Custodi del Bosco d’Arneo.

Since 2012 Porsche manages the Nardo’ Technical Centre (NTC) in the Apulia region of Southern Italy. The NTC, known as “the Ring,” has over 20 test tracks, 40 workshops, and various accessory services that provide top conditions for developing and testing activities. When it took over the NTC, Porsche also committed to preserve the Bosco d’Arneo, a 500-hectare oak-tree forest that hosts the NTC premises. This forest is centuries old and due to its rich biodiversity it is part of the network of protected areas safeguarded by EU Law. Weiterlesen

Permanent link to this article: https://www.kritischeaktionaere.de/en/porsche/stop-the-bulldozers-once-and-for-all-speech-by-gianfranco-deramo-custodi-del-bosco-darneo/

“It is time for BASF to recognise that the impact of the Marikana massacre is transgenerational”: Speech by Amina Hassan Fundi

Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed shareholders and executives of BASF,

Allow me to paint a picture for you. Imagine a nine-year-old girl, surrounded by her loving family at the dinner table—mom, dad, and older brother. They’re sharing stories and laughter, basking in the warmth of their togetherness. Then, the phone rings, shattering the tranquility. You see, that call brought news of a man—a husband, a father, a hardworking employee—called to duty to serve his employers. But instead of returning home to his family, he met a violent end, killed in cold blood and lit up in flames. His story, once one of love and dedication, was reduced to a footnote—a mere “necessary sacrifice” in the pursuit of profit and production – by Lonmin, by Sibanye-Stillwater, by BASF. Weiterlesen

Permanent link to this article: https://www.kritischeaktionaere.de/en/basf-se/it-is-time-for-basf-to-recognise-that-the-impact-of-the-marikana-massacre-is-intergenerational-speech-by-amina-hassan-fundi/

“The Marikana massacre destroyed my whole family”: Speech by Ndikho Jokanisi Bomela

My name is Ndikho Jokanisi Bomela. I was nine-years-old when I became an orphan after my father, Semi Jokanisi, was killed on August 13 2012 in Marikana.

I am a man now. I have been to entabeni, the mountain, to perform the Xhosa cultural initiation rites to become a man. But I am also a man because I have had to grow up fast after my father was killed.

My father died for a wage of R12500, which BASF’s suppliers of platinum, Lonmin, refused to engage with the striking mineworkers about — colluding instead to have the strike resolved by the South African police. Weiterlesen

Permanent link to this article: https://www.kritischeaktionaere.de/en/basf-se/the-marikana-massacre-destroyed-my-whole-family-speech-by-ndikho-jokanisi-bomela/

Unacceptable working conditions, suppression of trade union activities and ineffective climate protection: Our countermotions

Re Agenda item 3: Discharge of the members of the Executive Board

The Association of Ethical Shareholders Germany proposes that the actions of the members of the Board of Directors be denied discharge.

Justification:

The Executive Board has once again failed to implement effective measures to protect the climate and human rights.

Human rights: Unacceptable working conditions and suppression of trade union activities

There are increasing indications that the Executive Board is not adequately addressing human rights risks in accordance with the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (Lieferkettensorgfaltspflichtengesetz – LkSG), even in its own business area. This seems to be particularly true with regard to the prohibition of disregarding freedom of association, according to which employees may freely form or join trade unions, which may not be used as a reason for unjustified discrimination or retaliation, as well as the right to strike and the right to collective bargaining. Weiterlesen

Permanent link to this article: https://www.kritischeaktionaere.de/en/dhl-group-deutsche-post/unacceptable-working-conditions-suppression-of-trade-union-activities-and-ineffective-climate-protection-our-countermotions/

Insufficient basis for bonuses for employee engagement: countermotion to the remuneration report

Re agenda item 7: Approval of the remuneration report

The Association of Ethical Shareholders Germany proposes that the remuneration report be rejected.

Rationale:

Leadership at DHL will be rewarded for performance related to employee engagement despite significant labour disputes that are creating material risk to shareholders.

Workers from Unite the Union at DHL Aviation in the UK are currently in a dispute over pay. This dispute has been needlessly escalated by DHL Aviation (UK) management who have victimised trade union representatives and imposed the pay offer rather than negotiate a settlement. One Unite representative has been dismissed and another suspended on bogus charges. Weiterlesen

Permanent link to this article: https://www.kritischeaktionaere.de/en/dhl-group-deutsche-post/insufficient-basis-for-bonuses-for-employee-engagement-countermotion-to-the-remuneration-report/

Unable to identify even gross human rights violations: Our countermotions

Re agenda item 2: Appropriation of profit

The Association of Ethical Shareholders Germany proposes that the appropriation of profit proposed by the Board of Executive Directors and the Supervisory Board be rejected.

Rationale:

Once again, the proposed dividend, which is unchanged from the previous year, is too high. Instead of cutting jobs and investments in the urgently needed socio-ecological transformation of all BASF divisions, the dividend should be reduced. The current dividend policy is not sustainable, it is in fact a waste of resources: the proposed dividend amount of over EUR 3 billion can already no longer be paid from the free cash flow of EUR 2.7 billion in 2023. Weiterlesen

Permanent link to this article: https://www.kritischeaktionaere.de/en/basf-se/unable-to-identify-even-gross-human-rights-violations-our-countermotions/

“I urge you to immediately stop the dealings with Rosatom”: Speech by Vladimir Slivyak, Ecodefense

Dear Mr Kaeser, dear Mr Bruch, dear members of the Managing Board and Supervisory Board, dear shareholders,

My name is Vladimir Slivyak, I work for the Russian non-governmental organization Ecodefense, which has been campaigning for safe energy and climate protection for over 30 years. Because of this work, Ecodefense was falsely accused and persecuted by the Russian Government. In 2022, the European Court on Human Rights ruled that the Russian Government violated our rights (see “Ecodefense and others v Russia” 9988/13). Nevertheless, I had to leave Russia along with my colleagues because it became impossible for us to continue environmental and climate defending work. Weiterlesen

Permanent link to this article: https://www.kritischeaktionaere.de/en/siemens-energy-2/i-urge-you-to-immediately-stop-the-dealings-with-rosatom-speech-by-vladimir-slivyak-ecodefense/

Siemens Energy is making the energy transition unnecessarily difficult: Our countermotions

Regarding Agenda Item 3: To ratify the acts of the members of the Executive Board

The Association of Ethical Shareholders Germany requests that the acts of the members of the Executive Board not be ratified.

Rationale:

The Executive Board impedes the energy transition unnecessarily and is not fulfilling its human rights due diligence obligation.

Siemens Gamesa: Problems jeopardize path toward a climate-neutral power supply

For years, the Executive Board has been unable to get to grips with the problems at the wind power unit Siemens Gamesa, in particular massive quality and productivity problems with some turbines. The resultant losses have even necessitated government aid in the form of guarantees running into the billions to ensure that the order backlog can be handled at all. Weiterlesen

Permanent link to this article: https://www.kritischeaktionaere.de/en/siemens-energy-2/siemens-energy-is-making-the-energy-transition-unnecessarily-difficult-our-countermotions/