Over 450 representatives of ETF affiliated trade unions meeting in Berlin last week (29 – 31 May 2013) for the 4th ETF Statutory Congress sanctioned the abusive behaviour of DP DHL towards workers from DHL supply chain in Turkey. The reason for the hostile company stand: workers’ initiative to set up an independent trade union as a first step to have their rights recognised.
Amongst others, Congress delegations from Belgium, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, The Netherlands, Romania and Switzerland addressed written messages to DP DHL CEO Frank Appel, supporting the ETF affiliated Turkish trade union TÜMTIS who at the beginning of 2011 took initiative to set up the company trade union. TÜMTIS President Kenan Ozturk took the floor in Congress and gave a thorough overview of the past developments, current actions and expected achievements on the DHL Turkey case. The messages have been sent out via DHL Express to Frank Appel.
The ETF Congress initiative is a reminder to the fact that DP DHL fails to live up to its commitments and to employees’ expectations. While 36 employees have been dismissed so far due to their union affiliation, the company continues to put pressure on the DHL Supply Chain labour force to stop them joining the union.
DP DHL is a signatory of the UN Global Compact agreement, an obvious window-dressing manoeuvre by which the company wants to portray itself as a socially minded employer. During its Congress, the ETF reiterated its full support to the DHL Turkey campaign coordinated by the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and by UNI Global.
