- International recognition as Best Company for Disabled Employees. The company received this recognition during the commemoration of the 10th Anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
- Grupo Siro was recognised at the first international edition of the awards, presented by the São Paulo State Secretariat for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
- Only two Spanish companies received this recognition: Grupo Siro and ILUNION.
Madrid, 2 December 2016 – Today, on the occasion of the 10th Anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Global Recognition event ‘Good Practices for Employees with Disabilities’ was hosted by the United Nations at its headquarters in New York. At this event, Grupo Siro received International Recognition as ‘Best Company for Disabled Employees’ for its Sustainable Social Commitment to the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities.
The award, presented by the São Paulo State Secretary for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, was received by Juan Manuel González Serna, Chairman of Grupo Siro, on behalf of the company. He said: ‘We have always been committed to business development with strong ties to People and Society. Our vision, our mission and our values are based on the fact that people are all different but that we all share a passion for what we do. There are no limits. Differences do not diminish us but rather bring diversity and enrich our lives’.
This was the first international edition of these awards, the goal being to raise the visibility and global profile of state-owned and private companies that have adopted and implemented inclusion policies for persons with disabilities as an example of best practice in the challenge to build an inclusive and sustainable society. Grupo Siro and Ilunion were the two Spanish companies that received recognition.
The chairpersons of Grupo Siro were accompanied at the event by various representatives from the Government of Spain as part of the Permanent Mission of Spain to the United Nations, such as Florentino Sotomayor, Press and Communications Adviser; Valentín Dueñas, Education Attaché of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport; and Manuel Pablos López, Counsellor at the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Food and Environmental Affairs. At the end of the event, Juan Manuel González Serna and Lucía Urbán were received by the Permanent Representative of Spain to the United Nations, Román Oyarzun Marchesi.
Integration of people at risk of social exclusion
Ever since Grupo Siro was established, it has been working with organisations and agencies to achieve the integration of people at risk of social exclusion into the labour market as part of its unwavering Sustainable Social Commitment. The first steps were taken in 1997, when it signed an agreement with Fundosa to facilitate the employment in the company of people with disabilities. At present, the group has three special employment centres and over 500 employees with disabilities, accounting for 14% of the workforce.
The Chairman of Grupo Siro put it this way: ‘Both my wife, Lucía Urbán, and I are filled with both pride and emotion when we recall the path we began and have travelled together alongside all our employees; a path we have tried to make easier for those who most need it, especially those persons at risk of social exclusion. At Grupo Siro, we have always been committed to business development with strong ties to People and Society. Social commitment is one of our main watchwords as a family business and our main source of pride’.
United for an inclusive and equal world
This international edition was supported by such organisations as ILO, UNDP, UN Global Compact and the Latin American Network of Non-Governmental Organisations of Persons with Disabilities and their Families (RIADIS). It was also supported by the State Secretaries for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities of various State governments. The United Nations headquarters became a meeting point for all the global players committed to promoting and highlighting the initiatives in place for the labour and social inclusion of people with disabilities.
The ceremony preceded the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, which takes place tomorrow, 3 December. Under the slogan ’Achieving 17 Goals for the Future We Want’ this year, this international day is focused on promoting the 17 recently-established Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and highlighting the role they play in building a more inclusive and equal world for people with disabilities..
Photo caption: Juan Manuel González Serna and Lucia Urbán López with the Permanent Representative of Spain to the United Nations, Román Oyarzun Marchesi.
Pie de foto: Juan Manuel González Serna y Lucia Urbán López con el Embajador Permanente de la Misión Española en Naciones Unidas, Román Oyarzun Marchesi.
