Anglo American, Social Impact Management
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About
Anglo American plc owns and operates a range of businesses which, by virtue of their nature, scale and location, have the potential for significant positive and negative impacts on communities.
The Anglo American plc Executive Committee has endorsed and committed to the implementation of Social Management System Standards, the "Anglo Social Way" as a governing framework for the management of social impacts. These are mandatory, high-level policies and standards, which comprise the procedures and resources deployed by operations to deliver the effective management of social issues.
Within Anglo American the term "social" refers to a variety of issues and impacts including complaints and grievance procedures for stakeholders. The standards comprising the Anglo Social Way therefore operate as a tool providing guidance to Anglo American's global operations on the development and implementation of a complaints procedure for the recording, handling and resolution of complaints submitted by stakeholders in a timely manner.
What kinds of complaints can be handled?
Any complaint in relation to the social impacts of Anglo American plc. Issues included within the definition of "Social" include:
- Stakeholder engagement, consultation and communication techniques.
- Economic development, including the direct economic contribution made by Anglo American's operations (e.g. employment, taxes generated, procurement; enterprise development etc).
- Social investments by Anglo American and Anglo American's operations.
- Impacts Anglo American's operations may have on the economic activities and livelihoods which may be affected by mining (e.g. agriculture through Anglo American's use of land and/or water).
- Impacts on the traditional lifestyles, cultures, languages and beliefs of associated communities, including the rights and interests of indigenous peoples.
- Human rights, including the actions of third parties acting on Anglo American's behalf or because of Anglo American's presence.
- Resettlement, including both residential and economic resettlement.
- Facilitation, as appropriate, of the provision of accommodation for Anglo American's workforce.
- Impacts on the health of host communities as a result of Anglo American's presence, including the health effects relation to environmental issues and HIV/AIDS.
- The identification, management and prevention of potential sources of conflict in local societies which may be connected with the impacts of Anglo American's operations.
- Building the skills of Anglo American employees, potential employees and community members and the capacities of government and community based institutions and organisations.
- Issues related to formal and informal land rights.
- The management of indirect impacts such as those arising from significant in-migration to areas surrounding Anglo American's operations and connected with Anglo American's presence.
- Compliance with core labour rights.
- The direct and indirect impacts which Anglo American's operations may have in inter-generational and gender equity or on the position of historically disadvantaged groups in society.
- Anglo American's impacts on communities which may be remote from Anglo American's operations but from which has significant element of Anglo American's workforce is drawn (labour sending areas).
Who can access the mechanism?
Any stakeholders affected by Anglo American's operations. Anglo American define stakeholders as "Interested or affected parties, including: neighbouring communities and businesses; local, regional and national governments (i.e. the authorities); employees, contractors, and suppliers; Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs) and Community-based Organisations (CBOs); media groups; other Anglo American operations and Anglo American Corporate."
What processes are used?
- A simple, locally appropriate process for receiving, identifying, recording and acknowledging complaints from stakeholders. The process must include options that are free of charge, and must allow for complaints to be submitted directly, anonymously or via third parties, as preferred by the complainant.
- A transparent, structured process for investigating complaints, providing fair redress as necessary and for reviewing outcomes. The process must include: appropriate classification of complaints into Minor, Moderate or Serious (see classfication of incidents on page 15); clear accountabilities within the operation, including ensuring that no manager is both the alleged source of complaints and the sole arbiter of the operation’s response; and an externally communicated process and timeframe for responding to stakeholders. All Moderate incidents must be reported within 24 hours to divisional management. All _Serious incidents must be reported immediately to divisional management and to Group Government and Social Affairs within 24 hours.
What are the possible outcomes or available resolutions to complaints?
Can the decision be appealed?
The complaints and grievance procedure must provide a mechanism for stakeholder appeals against internal investigation findings or proposed management responses. Appeal should be heard by a mediation or adjudication panel that includes at least one or more reputable, independent third parties (i.e. not solely comprised of Anglo employees/representatives).
If the Anglo operation wishes to contest the grounds for an appeal input should be sought from the divisional management for Moderate complaints and Group Government and Social Affairs for Serious complaints.
Can outcomes be monitored?
The complaints and grievance procedure must include mechanisms to monitor the effectiveness of both the the procedure itself and the management responses adopted. Information for Moderate and Serious complaints should be reviewed on a regular basis by divisional Executive Committees (or their equivalents) to ensure that the level and severity of complaints is reduced over time.
Can outcomes be enforced?
Other characteristics of the mechanism?
Relevant Websites
Keywords
Anglo American, Grievance, United Kingdom
Relevant Countries
Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, India, South Africa, United Kingdom
Attachments
- Upload--4A Procedimiento de Quejas y Daños v1.0 (Español).pdf
- Upload--4A Complaints and Grievance Procedures.pdf
Authors
| Original Author(s) |
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References
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