***Giant Global Freight and Logistics Provider Finally Looks to Settle Acrimonious Labour Disputes
30 January 2014
GERMANY – WORLDWIDE – Finally, after what can only be described as an acrimonious dispute it appears a long and bitter saga between one of the world’s largest global freight and logistics firms and international workers representatives may be at an end. The row between Deutsche Post DHL and various unions has festered for years with the company frequently promising to resolve matters but being accused of inactivity and only having concerns for the interests of its German staff.
30 January 2014
GERMANY – WORLDWIDE – Finally, after what can only be described as an acrimonious dispute it appears a long and bitter saga between one of the world’s largest global freight and logistics firms and international workers representatives may be at an end. The row between Deutsche Post DHL and various unions has festered for years with the company frequently promising to resolve matters but being accused of inactivity and only having concerns for the interests of its German staff.
Now the German National Contact Point (NCP) for the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises has issued a joint statement agreed upon by UNI Global Union, the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) and Deutsche Post DHL, that addresses some key areas in a dispute over allegations that DHL has, in several countries, ignored the rights of workers to form and join trade unions. This ratification aims to turn a page in UNI and ITF’s relationship with the leading multinational in post and logistics with UNI General Secretary Philip Jennings, saying:
“This agreement is a turning point in our relationship with DHL. Our aim is simple, we urge DHL to respect workers’ rights to organise, to provide decent work conditions and a voice for workers in this growing industry. We have high expectations that DHL, the world’s leader in logistics, will work with us to achieve these goals.”
In November 2012, the ITF and UNI filed a complaint against DHL accusing them of systematically denying workers, from around the world their rights to freely join or organise trade unions of their choice. It is alleged that the company backed fake unions and unlawfully fired workers in Turkey; used lie detectors against staff in Colombia, Panama and South Africa; systematically discriminated against African-American workers and workers with a Latin American background, along with trade union violations in the US; refused to recognise a union in Vietnam; relied on agency workers on lower wages and no job security in the UK, Malaysia, Indonesia and India; and other trade union violations in Bahrain, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Malawi and Norway.
The case was submitted to the German government and handled by the NCP for the OECD Guidelines, who is based in the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs. After a preliminary investigation, in June 2013, the NCP accepted the case as concerns five critical countries – Turkey, India, Colombia, Indonesia and Vietnam – and asked the parties to begin a mediation process. The NCP came to the conclusion that other cases were either too vague or based on already solved cases.
The results of the mediation have been significant, most notably in Turkey, where over 1,600 workers at DHL Turkey Supply chain won the right to be represented by their union of choice, Tumtis, after a multi-year campaign was initially met with extreme hostility by the employer.
The process has also led to an assessment of DHL’s industrial relations with unions in India and Colombia, and a path for bargaining with the union in Indonesia. The 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 continued dialogue and engagement with DHL and creates an opportunity to resolve disputes, especially those involving the right to organise, in a responsible, direct way. Steve Cotton, ITF acting General Secretary said:
“ITF, UNI and our affiliates are ready to ensure DHL meets its obligations to its workers and respects union rights around the world. We are pleased that this process has been resolved and hopeful that we can continue to work with DHL to ensure that workers have their rights on the job.”
FROM THE SUDDEUTSCHE ZEITUNG:
***DHL gelobt Besserung
Truck von DHL: Der Logistikkonzern hat einen Streit über Arbeitsbedingungen im Ausland beigelegt.
Drangsalierung von Mitarbeitern im Ausland, so lautete der Vorwurf von Gewerkschaften an den Logistikkonzern DHL. Manche Vorwürfe haben sich zwar zerschlagen – in anderen Fällen sieht eine Vereinbarung nun bessere Arbeitsbedingungen für die Betroffenen vor.
Im Streit um die Arbeitsbedingungen bei ausländischen Tochterfirmen hat der Logistikkonzern DHL Besserung versprochen. Das geht aus einer gemeinsamen Erklärung hervor, auf die sich DHL mit der Dienstleistungsgewerkschaft UNI Global Union und die Internationale Transportarbeiter-Vereinigung ITF geeinigt hat. Sie liegt der Süddeutschen Zeitung vor.
Ende 2012 hatten die Gewerkschaften schwere Vorwürfe gegen DHL erhoben. Das Unternehmen verstoße in mehreren ausländischen Tochterfirmen gegen die OECD-Leitsätze für internationale Unternehmen, einen Katalog für “verantwortungsvolles unternehmerisches Handeln im globalen Kontext”. So seien Mitarbeiter drangsaliert worden, weil sie sich gewerkschaftlich betätigen. Konkret ging es zum Schluss um Vorwürfe in der Türkei, Indien, Kolumbien, Indonesien und Vietnam.
Die Vereinbarung, die auf Vermittlung der beim Bundeswirtschaftsministerium angesiedelten Nationalen Kontaktstelle für die OECD-Leitsätze (NKS) zustande gekommen war, sieht nun bei einigen Fällen bessere Bedingungen für die betroffenen Arbeitnehmer und Tochterfirmen vor, in anderen Fällen zerschlugen sich die Vorwürfe. Die Erklärung soll an diesem Donnerstag publik werden. “Die Parteien sind sich einig”, heißt es darin, “dass die vorgebrachten Vorwürfe im Rahmen des Vermittlungsverfahrens der NKS ausgeräumt wurden oder sich im weiteren bilateralen Austausch klären lassen.”
GOOGLE TRANSLATION:
DHL vowed to improve
Truck DHL : The logistics company settled a dispute over working conditions abroad.
Click to enlarge
( Photo: Bloomberg)
Harassment of employees abroad , as was alleged by unions to the logistics company DHL . Some allegations have indeed broken up – in other cases now sees an agreement better working conditions for those affected before .
In the dispute over working conditions in foreign subsidiaries of the logistics company DHL has promised improvement. This emerges from a joint statement to which DHL has agreed with the services union UNI Global Union and the International Transport Workers’ Federation ITF. It lies off the Süddeutsche Zeitung.
The end of 2012 the unions had made serious allegations against DHL. The company violated in several foreign subsidiaries against the OECD guidelines for multinational companies , a catalog for ” responsible business conduct in a global context ” . So employees have been harassed because they are active in trade unions . Specifically, it was the end to allegations in Turkey , India, Colombia, Indonesia and Vietnam.
The agreement, which had come to mediation of the resident at the Federal Ministry of Economics National Contact Point for the OECD Guidelines (NCP ) concluded , now provides in some cases, better conditions for the workers concerned and subsidiaries , in other cases, smashed the allegations. The statement shall be publicized on this Thursday . “The parties are agreed ” , it states that “the allegations raised in the conciliation process, the NCP have been removed or can be clarified in further bilateral exchanges. “
Truck DHL : The logistics company settled a dispute over working conditions abroad.
Click to enlarge
( Photo: Bloomberg)
Harassment of employees abroad , as was alleged by unions to the logistics company DHL . Some allegations have indeed broken up – in other cases now sees an agreement better working conditions for those affected before .
In the dispute over working conditions in foreign subsidiaries of the logistics company DHL has promised improvement. This emerges from a joint statement to which DHL has agreed with the services union UNI Global Union and the International Transport Workers’ Federation ITF. It lies off the Süddeutsche Zeitung.
The end of 2012 the unions had made serious allegations against DHL. The company violated in several foreign subsidiaries against the OECD guidelines for multinational companies , a catalog for ” responsible business conduct in a global context ” . So employees have been harassed because they are active in trade unions . Specifically, it was the end to allegations in Turkey , India, Colombia, Indonesia and Vietnam.
The agreement, which had come to mediation of the resident at the Federal Ministry of Economics National Contact Point for the OECD Guidelines (NCP ) concluded , now provides in some cases, better conditions for the workers concerned and subsidiaries , in other cases, smashed the allegations. The statement shall be publicized on this Thursday . “The parties are agreed ” , it states that “the allegations raised in the conciliation process, the NCP have been removed or can be clarified in further bilateral exchanges. “
FROM FAIRPLAY:
***ITF condemns murder of dockers’ leader’s father
The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) has condemned the murder of the father of a Honduran dockers’ leader, accusing the country’s authorities of failing to heed requests to provide protection for the trade unionist and his family.
The ITF said the father of dockers’ leader Victor Crespo died after being run down by an armed assailant in a stolen car.
Crespo himself has been taken out of the country after an attack on his home last September, following months of death threats linked to his efforts to secure a collective agreement for port workers in Puerto Cortes.
ITF president Paddy Crumlin said Crespo’s father had clearly been targeted because of his son’s union activities. “There is no doubt this murder was a mixture of spite and a political act,” he said. “They couldn’t get to Victor so they punished his nearest and dearest instead.”
The federation said it had alerted the police, the president, the International Labour Organization, and the port’s concession holder, ICTSI of the Philippines, after last year’s attack on Crespo’s home, but so far without any significant result.
In the absence of protection for the union leader and his family from the authorities, the ITF said, it was decided it was necessary to get him out of the country to a place of safety.
FROM THE THURROCK GAZETTE (UK):
***Ship detained at Tilbury as Filipino workers await almost £100,000 in wages
12:00pm Thursday 30th January 2014
By Matt Abbott
FILIPINO workers stuck on a ship at Tilbury are owed almost £100,000 in wages… with some having not been paid for three months.
Now trade union the International Transport Workers’ Federation has launched arrest proceedings on the mv Isis [SIC]meaning the ship cannot leave the port until the 20 crew and one captain have been paid.
Some of the workers have not been home for up to a year and many have families back in the Philippines are struggling to make ends meet.
Bosses of the ship, which is operated by Athens-based Derna Carriers and owned by Diamond Seaways, promised payment on January 7, but that never happened.
Sea charity the Apostleship of the Sea has been helping workers on board the ship.
One, who had not been paid for four months, had the electrical supply to his family’s home in the Philippines cut-off due to unpaid bills.
Deacon Paul Glock from the charity told the Gazette that workers were “anxious”.
He said: “We managed to help that worker by sending some funds home, but these men go to sea to support their families.
“It’s frustrating.
“Some of them have been on the ship for 12 months. They want to go home.”
Ken Fleming, ITF UK and Ireland coordinator, said: “The situation remains that most of the money owed dates back to November 1 and is clearly not forthcoming. This is totally unacceptable.”
The vessel was first detained in Port Arthur in Texas in September 2013 after its owner encountered financial difficulties and was unable to pay the crew there. This was paid by the end of October.
The ship then made for the UK to unload its cargo of sugar at the Thames refinery in Silverton.
When the vessel reached Silverton on January 2, the MCA detained it again as its safety certficate had expired.
It was then moved to Tilbury so repairs could be carried out and the certificate granted. But now the ITF has stepped in to detain the ship again.
Mr Fleming said: “Given that the situation is deteriorating by the minute we have now moved to have the vessel arrested on behalf of the crew.”
The crew have been advised not to leave the ship until they have been paid.
FROM THE ETF:
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PRESS RELEASE
EUROPEAN TRANSPORT WORKERS’ FEDERATION
FEDERATION EUROPEENNE DES TRAVAILLEURS DES TRANSPORTS
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Brussels, January 30, 2014
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ENCOURAGES
LOW-COST AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL & NAVIGATION SERVICES
ETF demands to stop jeopardising jobs and safety in European Sky
Today, Thursday 30 January 2014, and yesterday, the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) and its national affiliates from 11 countries* organised strikes and other actions in the context of the 2nd European Action Day to demand the establishment of a fair, cooperative and social Single European Sky (SES). The Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOs) and the entire ATM (Air Traffic Management) staff called on the Transport Committee (TRAN) Members of the European Parliament to support their demands for a strong social dimension inside the SES. The TRAN Committee voted this morning on the so-called SES2+ package and ignored the concerns expressed by the ATCOs and all other involved employees.
The ETF, representing more than 25,000 ATCOs and ATM staff, is of the opinion that the SES2+ package was drafted by the Commission in view of the airlines’ commercial interests, disregarding its effects on jobs, safety and efficiency. Today, the TRAN Committee voted in favour of the Commission’s proposal. If adopted as such in the European Parliament, it will break the stability of the sector.
François Ballestero, ETF Political Secretary commented: “The ETF opposes the introduction of low-cost air navigation services throughout Europe. Moreover, the mandatory structural separation between supervisory authorities and service providers is not justified. The ETF calls all the Members of the European Parliament to reject the dogmatic liberalisation of the ATM industry when voting in the plenary in the coming months. I would like to thank all the Members of the European Parliament who were already very supportive towards the demands of the staff”.
The ETF opposes the Commission approach on performance, which only intends to reduce costs. Between 2014 and 2019, the Commission foresees a unit cost reduction in air navigation services by 22.41%. The ETF calls the Member States to stop these unrealistic targets.