News

Collective Bargaining in DHL Panama underway



Monday, 19 April 2010, the Panamanian union SIELAS presented to the Ministry of Labour a draft collective agreement for the workers of DHL AERO EXPRESO S.A.



As of this moment and for the period of the negotiations the entire workforce of DHL AERO EXPRESO is protected from dismissal.



However, knowing the anti-union attitude of the company in the region,  SIELAS will constantly monitor and denounce nationally and internationally any move from the company to undermine  workers´ rights to join a union or bargain collectively. 



“With the support of the global trade union federations UNI and ITF and the global network of DHL workers, we will fight to improve the working conditions of colleagues at DHL in Panama”, said SIELAS General Secretary Edgar Díaz.. “Organising DHL workers is difficult but not impossible”, added Fernando Parfait, SIELAS Education Secretary and Organiser.



On Wednesday 21 April, UNI received an email from the Human Resources Director of DeutschePostDHL to say;



"We confirm that we fully respect the UN Global Compact and the ILO Conventions in respect of Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining. We respect the decision from our employees of DHL Aero Expreso S.A. to become members of SIELAS. Our employees do not have to fear that this will have a negative impact on them.



The management of DHL Aero Expreso S.A. will seek contact with the secretary of SIELAS to agree on a meeting to discuss negotiations on a collective agreement, respecting the Panamanian Labor Law."



UNI global union is based in Switzerland and represents more than 20 million workers in the services industries in more than 150 countries world wide.



The ITF represents almost five million transport workers, UNI represents 2.5 million postal sector workers around the globe.



SIELAS is the industrial union of workers in civil aviation and similar with 1500 members in the sector of airlines, fright and logistics Panamá.



Both federations and the national union stand up for workers whose rights are undermined by national and multinational corporations.



For more information contact:

Fernando Parfait, SIELAS: fparfait_7@hotmail.com, Tel.: 507 6679 7478



Ivonne Jackelen, UNI global unión: Ivonne.jackelen@uniglobalunion.org, Tel: 506 8821 9119