1-15th October
ETF Unions United for Logistics Workers
Logistics workers are largely invisible to the public and policymakers. Yet, every day, hundreds of thousands of people work in warehouses and as delivery drivers, picking, packing, and sorting our goods before delivering them to our homes and workplaces. Public and private institutions, as well as individuals, are hugely dependent on the services of these workers, and during the pandemic, their work was lifesaving.
Despite being so integral to our economies, the logistics industry is poorly regulated, and workers are unprotected. Well-known firms systematically use outsourcing, agency work and bogus self-employment to increase profits and evade their obligations as employers.
As a result, logistics workers are too often on poverty wages, on precarious contracts, and difficult to reach and represent because of high turnover, inaccessible workplaces and unclear employment relationships Their health and safety are not prioritised. They are increasingly unprotected from climate extremes and exposed to new digital tools and AI in an unregulated way.
We want to make logistics workers visible to policymakers, highlighting their essential role in our economies, and ensure their human and labour rights are respected.
ETF call to action for logistics workers – October 2023
Visibility is the first step to recognition of workers rights and that is why the ETF is coordinating the work of affiliated unions across Europe in various events and activities to highlight the importance of logistics workers throughout the supply chain!
Over the first half of October, logistics workers and trade unions will be engaged in workshops, roundtables, workplace gatherings, exchanges, and demonstrations to discuss the issues facing logistics workers and delivery drivers, to share stories, to celebrate the work of unions and to highlight the urgent need to raise standards in the sector.
We will be calling on employers, national governments, and EU institutions to work with the ETF and our affiliates to improve and regulate work in logistics and to provide the protections necessary to make logistics work sustainable for workers and society at large.
To support these efforts, the ETF has written a Manifesto for Logistics Workers to discuss and share with workers, employers, and decision-makers. We will officially launch the Manifesto in October. This can be the base for the struggles and negotiations for fair pay and conditions at local, national and European levels.
Logistics workers are transport workers handling and moving our goods day in and day out. Thank you for everything you do. We are committed to fighting for the rights you are owed.
Join us in our Fight for Fair Logistics!