Unions meet with TNT and seek dialogue to secure rights for workers globally
UNI along with the ITF, Verdi and the Dutch unions FNV Bondgenoten and Abvakabo, met with TNT management to discuss the unions’ concerns about TNT not adhering to minimum social and labour standards throughout the world. UNI has been running a campaign to support Ver.di in Germany where they are demanding that TNT pay the legal minimum wage that was set for postal workers by the German parliament.
The union delegation also expressed its concern at the apparent support for a “ghost” or “bogus” union that has been set up in the postal sector and which has clearly been funded by at least one of the post companies opposing the minimum wage.
The delegation asked that TNT respect the German minimum wage and that it would agree not to carry out social dumping and to pay decent wages wherever it set up its letter business. TNT said if the German court told it that they must pay the minimum wage they would abide by that decision, however there is now expected to be a considerable number of court actions over some lengthy period as the Ministry of Labour in German appeals the latest decision by a Berlin court.
The Union delegation also insisted that TNT not support any “bogus” unions and deal with real independent unions and to have further discussions with UNI and the ITF on developing a proper global social dialogue and meeting basic labour standards and workers rights while paying socially acceptable wages. TNT agreed to consider this request.
