Two international unions have made a complaint to the United Nations claiming that Deutsche PostDHL is disregarding workers’ rights in some countries and failing to live up to its pledges on
responsible business conduct.UNI Post & Logistics, a global union for the postal and logistics industry, along with theInternational Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), claimed that DP DHL had disregarded several ofthe principles of the ‘UN Global Compact for responsible business conduct’, which the companysigned up to in 2006, and urged the UN to remove DHL from the list of signatory companies.
The organisations claimed that in Colombia, for example, DHL uses lie-detector tests, which theunions describe as a “disgraceful practice” and “an offence against human dignity and the UN GlobalCompact”. When confronted with this behaviour at its AGM last month, the unions claim that DeutschePost DHL CEO, Frank Appel, was unapologetic and said that DHL would continue to use polygraph testsin “exceptional cases”.
The two unions also claim that DHL employees in the US have “reported discrimination, insultsand a lack of standards, which often leads to injuries”.
UNI general secretary Philip Jennings said: “DHL has been caught short on compliance with the UNprinciples of fairness in business and work. There is no excuse any more – it’s time for them tostep up and meet their global commitments if they want to be taken seriously as a ‘responsiblebusiness’.”
Ingo Marowsky, ITF organising globally coordinator, added: “Once again we press the company toensure that all its 470,000 workers receive decent treatment, and that the reported abuses in someof its operating countries are eliminated immediately.”
UNI and the ITF called on DHL to take the following measures: The signing of a global frameworkagreement that will guarantee that all 470,000 DHL employees worldwide enjoy fundamental rights atwork, including the right to organise a union, in order to achieve dignity in the workplace; tradeunion representation; the promotion of women to leadership positions; and consistent observance ofhuman and labour rights.
In response, DP DHL told CEP-Research that it was “in a constructive dialogue with UNI and ITFon a global level, which will continue”, and insisted that the company respected the rights of itsemployees and, in particular, the right to freedom of association.
“Deutsche Post DHL is guided by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the conventionsissued by the International Labour Organization (ILO), and the United Nations Global Compact, towhich Deutsche Post DHL has been a signatory since 2006,” a spokesman said.
“Also in 2006, Deutsche Post DHL implemented a Code of Conduct that acknowledges our support forthe UN Global Compact, and through which we commit to operating based on the principles ofintegrity, responsibility, ethical acceptability and legality. The Code applies to every employeein our group and its subsidiaries around the world. We expect and require from our managers thatthey actively support our Code of Conduct.”
In its current Communication On Progress (COP), he said the group confirmed that it respectedthe Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work of the International LabourOrganization (ILO), in accordance with national laws and customs.
“For these reasons, we see no necessity for an international framework agreement for DeutschePost DHL,” he added. “We do not tolerate violations against these principles. If we get knowledgeof a violation we investigate every single case. In an organization with more than 470,000employees, you cannot generally eliminate individual erratic behavior.”
