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UNI Global Union General Secretary Christy Hoffman and the UPU’s Director General Bishar A. Hussein signed global agreement today during a meeting of the UPU’s Council of Administration in Berne.

The Agreement sets out an agenda of cooperation between UNI and the UPU with a strong emphasis on sustainable development and innovation in the postal sector.

It promises to further strengthen the bonds between the world’s postal workers and the international postal community.

UNI Global Union General Secretary, Christy Hoffman said, “The postal sector is facing multiple challenges because of the on-going digital revolution, but at heart the essential issues remain the same, the right to decent work. UNI specifically welcomes the agreement’s plan to innovate and expand the areas of potential postal employment in this new world of work.”

“The postal sector is a major employer worldwide, and an active member of society. This collaboration will help us shed light on how postal operators can serve not only their staff, but also the communities in which they operate,” UPU Director General Bishar A. Hussein said during the signing ceremony.

The new agreement recognizes the value of workers in the postal industry and underlines UNI and the UPU’s deep commitment to promoting decent working conditions for postal employees.

UNI Post&Logistics Global President, Dave Ward explained, “There are 600,000 postal outlets around the world, covering some of the remotest areas on earth, forming an unparalleled human communications network. That network is built on the hard work of the letter carriers and postal sorters, and in a spirit of collaboration and innovation, this agreement honours that work by committing to raise standards in the postal industry for employees and for our communities.”

“The UPU is built on ideas of cooperation and connection, and UNI looks forward to working with the agency to make the principles of this agreement a reality,” said Cornelia Broos, Head of UNI Post&Logistics.

The Universal Postal Union is a United Nations agency which fosters cooperation between the world’s postal operators and ensures a truly universal global network of postal services.

UNI is an active member of the UPU’s Consultative Committee, a group of wider-sector stakeholders which engages with the UPU and its members. The Council of Administration is made up of 41-member countries and meets annually at UPU headquarters in Berne, between Congresses to supervise its activities and study regulatory, administrative, legislative and legal issues.