Fundación ONCE and Mercadona have signed a partnership agreement committing to work together to improve workplace inclusion for people with disabilities.

The agreement was signed by Fundación ONCE Executive Vice President Alberto Durán and Mercadona HR Hiring Director José Elías Portalés. The event was also attended by Fernando Riaño, the Director of Institutional Relations and Social Responsibility of Grupo Social ONCE.

To Alberto Durán, the signing of this agreement is a great opportunity for people with disabilities. “At Fundación ONCE we believe that it is only through alliances that we can make progress on equal rights, workplace integration, and eliminating barriers, as mandated by our founder over thirty years ago”, he explained. And he continued: “We are very proud to be able to partner with an innovative organisation like Mercadona, because I am certain our work will yield important results”.

Meanwhile, José Elías Portalés said that “this alliance between Mercadona and Fundación ONCE will create great opportunities and synergies between the two organisations. At Mercadona we have a management model in which people pay a central role in our decision-making. Our commitment to the integration, equality and accessibility of people with disabilities will be strengthened by having signed this agreement”.

According to the document, the two entities will partner on joint actions around employment, universal accessibility, and design aimed at improving the quality of life of workers with disabilities.

It is an annual agreement that will renew automatically for up to five years.

Mercadona HR Hiring Director José Elías Portalés and Executive Vice President of Fundación ONCE Alberto Durán at the signing of the agreement.

Fundación ONCE

Fundación ONCE is a charitable branch of ONCE created in 1988 to improve the living conditions of other groups with disabilities through programmes aimed at workplace inclusion and training, as well as spreading the concept of universal accessibility through creating universally accessible environments, products and services.

A sustainable social action policy integrated into Mercadona’s CSR strategy

One of Mercadona’s commitments to society is to share part of what it has received. This is the goal behind the company’s Social Responsibility Plan, which addresses social and ethical components through various sustainable lines of action that reinforce its commitment to shared growth. As part of this policy Mercadona works on the Sustainable Urban Distribution Project and on improving the air quality of our cities by using lorries and vans that run on cleaner and more efficient technologies, as well as building green roofs and vertical gardens in its stores.

Environmental sustainability is another strategic pillar of Mercadona’s Social Responsibility Plan. Mercadona has its own Environmental Management System focused on optimising logistics, energy efficiency and waste reduction. Part of the system is based on the principles of a Circular Economy and aims to work with Totaler Suppliers to convert waste into new resources.

Mercadona also partners with 170 soup kitchens and 60 food banks, as well as other social organisations throughout Spain to which it donates food on a daily basis. It also participates in food drives. Moreover, it works with 33 foundations and occupational centres to decorate its stores with mosaic murals made by more than 1,000 people with intellectual disabilities.

Since 2009 Mercadona has been a member of the Retail Forum for Sustainability (REAP), an organisation co-chaired by the European Commission in which all participants undergo regular external audits in areas of sustainability. Additionally, since 2011 it has been a member of the United Nations Global Compact for defending fundamental values in areas of Human Rights, Employment Standards, Environment and the Fight Against Corruption.