News

German union ver.di, which represents more than 200,000 workers at DeutschePostDHL in Germany, and UNI Global Union and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), who represent thousands of other DHL workers around the world, will be at the DHL annual shareholders’ meeting on Tuesday morning in Frankfurt, Germany, asking company management to honour their core values of “respect” by respecting their workers’ right to union representation, collective bargaining and basic rights and “results” by committing to an agreement with unions that will result in better working conditions and a global partnership with workers to improve operations.



UNI believes that the shareholder meeting, which provides an opportunity for DHL investors to share their concerns about the business plan, is a great opportunity for asking DHL to explain its labour practices. UNI and the ITF believe that a global company like DHL needs a global agreement to ensure workers’ rights.



“DHL has had a history of cooperation with ver.di in Germany and we want them to commit to cooperation with unions at all of their other sites worldwide,” said Neil Anderson, head of UNI Post & Logistics. “We are asking them to take a cooperative approach to employee relations, which we believe will lead to better jobs for thousands of workers around the world and better service for their customers. DHL employees want to do their part to ensure a strong future for the company but DHL must recognise that its responsibilities are not just to shareholders and customers but also to its workforce of more than 500,000 people.”



DHL is holding its annual meeting at the Jahrhunderthalle in Frankfurt.



The DHL Worker’s Network (DWN) was formed by unions representing DHL workers and affiliated to UNI and the ITF. It is part of the Global Delivery Network, a partnership between UNI and the ITF to improve workers’ rights and union recognition globally in the post & logistics sector.



The DWN is calling on DHL to negotiate a global agreement with UNI and the ITF that would ensure basic standards at its facilities worldwide, including the right of all workers to join unions and bargain collectively.



For more information on the DWN or the DHL annual meeting, contact Neil Anderson at +41 79 508 2616. For information in German, contact Cornelia Berger, UNI Policy Officer, at +32 499 160 086