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US labour relations board upholds judgment against DHL on labour violations

A US federal agency dealing with labour rights has upheld a judgement against global delivery firm DHL.

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB has ruled that a decision by administrative law judge Robert A Giannasi in June 2005 against DHL Allentown, US, and in favour of the American Postal Workers' Union (APWU) should stand.

The judge concluded that DHL managers “interfered with employees’ protected union handbilling activity on three occasions and threatened employees on two occasions” violating the National Labor Relations Act. A labour consultant’s attempt to sue an employee for defamation based on comments in a union newsletter and DHL “discriminatorily issuing” the employee “with a written disciplinary warning for taking an unauthorised break, reducing his work hours, and giving him a negative performance appraisal” all constituted a violation of the act.

The NLRB also agreed with the judge’s recommendation, which called for a second union election; the first in September 2007 had to be set aside as a result of objections by the American Postal Workers’ Union and “the unfair labour practices that occurred during the critical pre-election period.”

Neil Anderson, head of UNI Post and Logistics Gobal Union, said: “This judgement has been a long time coming and justifies the actions of the APWU. But unfortunately now DHL has pulled out of the US domestic market it brings no comfort to the workers who lost their jobs. We just hope DHL takes note that anti-union behaviour is not acceptable. UNI and ITF will keep fighting to gain respect for workers’ rights."