PM Turkey Achieved Equal-Salary Certification

For a company to be successful—to add value, to build a strong reputation and to attract and retain top talent—it’s not enough to say that it supports equal pay for all. That company needs to prove it.

With the EQUAL-SALARY certification, companies get to put their values into action. To back their words up with facts. To take a stand for what’s right.

When you show that your organization supports fair pay for all by getting EQUAL-SALARY certified, you send a strong message and set a powerful example. Because doing the right thing not only feels good; it’s contagious.

The EQUAL-SALARY methodology was designed to allow companies around the world, in every field, to address the difference between inequality and discrimination, to ensure all employees are paid equally for the same work.

Several high-profile companies and organizations have also taken the lead in committing to pay their female and male employees fairly by getting EQUAL-SALARY certified.

Last week, I have learned that my company, PM Turkey is certified as first EQUAL-SALARY certified company in Turkey. As a male employee of this company, I am honoured for working in such an environment because this certification means providing equal remuneration for men and women for equal work and at PMI our values and principles call for nothing less. And with our Equal Salary Certification it is confirmed once again that employees are rewarded equally regardless of gender, and equal career and professional development opportunities are provided for women and men alike, respecting and encouraging diversity.

Recently, Marian Salzman, who is a member of PMI’s senior management team, wrote an article called “Equal pay is not a demand, it’s a right” and stated that “I’m also heartened to be working for a company that takes equal pay seriously. So seriously that we have engaged an external organisation to ensure we’re EQUAL-SALARY Certified globally. We hope to be the first multinational to reach this milestone.” [For full content, visit: https://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/820/187145.html]

I believe this motivation not only heartens Marian but also all women in PMI. I totally agree her point that “Equal pay is fair and shouldn’t be considered a demand; rather, it’s what we all have a right to expect.”

Congratulations to all the ones who had efforts while the verification was conducted and now it is time to celebrate that our company provides the equal pay standards that everyone deserves!

PMI Sustainability Report and Turkey

Philip Morris International Inc. joined the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) in 2015. By doing so PMI committed to embed its Ten Principles into the strategy, culture and daily work of the company, and I am pleased to work for this company which provides such a commitment. On September 12, PMI published its sustainability report, communicating its progress in respect to the United Nations Global Compact Principles.

Besides, as a Turkish citizen, it is nice to hear an example case from Turkey in terms of strengthening our sustainability fundamentals in this report.

An example of “farm economics, mechanization and innovation” comes from Turkey. In Turkey’s oriental tobacco growing, labor is not only the main cost, but it is also the bottleneck limiting the volume that each farmer can produce, due to the labor intensive preparation of the small Oriental leaves for curing. The “vento” machine technology allows farmers to harvest Oriental tobacco leaves in bulk by enabling the curing preparation in a cotton net tube instead of the traditional practices whereby tobacco leaves need to be carefully aligned during harvesting so they can be individually sown on a string for curing.

These machines enable the farmer to make an estimated labor saving of 25 labor days/ha and allows farmers to harvest larger volumes, thereby significantly increasing income. With PMI’s technical and financial support, around 1,700 farmers, representing 27% of PMI’s volume sourced in Turkey, were using “vento” machines by the end of 2016. In 2017, we expect to source over 40% of our tobacco in Turkey to be cured using this technology.

As a PM Turkey employee, I proudly share the full report:

https://www.pmi.com/resources/docs/default-source/pmi-sustainability/ungc_report_2016_.pdf