The ITF and fellow global union federation UNI turned over a new leaf in their relationship with the global delivery company Deutsche Post-DHL this week, as a joint statement on an Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) mediation was issued.
The ITF and UNI had originally filed a case with the OECD in November 2012, over concerns that DHL had denied workers the right to freely join or organise trade unions as they wished. After a preliminary investigation, in June 2013, Germany’s National Contact Point (NCP) for the OECD guidelines accepted the case in relation to five crucial countries and kicked off the mediation process.
The mediation has had some significant results, including a victory for Turkey’s DHL supply chain workers, who won the right to be represented by their union of choice, TUMTIS. DHL’s industrial relations with Indian and Colombian unions fell under the spotlight as part of the mediation, and there is now a path in place for collective bargaining for the company’s Indonesian union.
The mediation agreement calls for DHL to meet quarterly with the ITF and UNI and report to the NCP as part of the company’s due diligence process. This provides a foundation for dialogue and engagement with the company, and an opportunity to resolve disputes in a responsible, direct way.
Ingo Marowsky, ITF global head – supply chain and logistics, said: “The mediation has been a success, and we’re pleased with the result of the process. We will remain vigilant to ensure that DHL meets its obligations to workers and respects union rights around the world.”