UNI Global Union expands human rights deal with Geopost

Johannes Studinger Head of UNI Media & Entertainment | UNI Global Union

By Sky Industry News

Oct 3, 2024

UNI Global Union and Geopost have expanded their 2017 global agreement with a new addendum, broadening Geopost's human rights responsibilities to include more workers, notably subcontractors. This addition introduces a commitment to limit subcontracting to a single tier, setting a new standard for responsible outsourcing in the industry.

Christy Hoffman, General Secretary of UNI Global Union, stated: “Geopost has expanded in recent years to become a truly global company, and UNI welcomes the extension of our 2017 agreement to meet some of the challenges which accompany this growth. With this addendum, we make clear that the commitments of our global agreement also apply to its many workers who are supplied through subcontractors. Our negotiations with Geopost have furthered our shared goal of advancing human rights throughout the company’s operations, with a firm focus on the fundamental rights of freedom of association and collective bargaining for all workers.”

Yves Delmas, CEO of Geopost, remarked: “With the signature of this agreement, we are reaffirming our strategic ambition to become the international reference of sustainable delivery through our Employer of Choice and Partner of Choice programmes. We are committed to continuous social progress, which lays at the heart of our positioning and strategic differentiation, as we believe our employees and partners are our greatest assets and best ambassadors. This first addendum promotes our desire for continuous improvement and drives sustainable action for our employees, our partners and our customers.”

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The initial 2017 agreement between UNI Global Union and Geopost set global standards for workers' rights across 50 countries. It included provisions for freedom of association, collective bargaining rights, dignified working conditions, transparency, and sustainability.

The new addendum is significant as it marks the first in the postal and logistics sector to limit subcontracting ideally to one tier. This is crucial in an industry heavily reliant on subcontractors for delivery services. The agreement also ensures strong trade union involvement in Geopost's compliance with due diligence obligations beyond French legal requirements.

The signing ceremony took place on July 22, 2024, in Paris with Christy Hoffman and Yves Delmas present alongside French affiliates from UNI Post & Logistics (CGT-FAPT, CFDT-F3C, FO-COM) who also signed the agreement.

This development represents an important step in Geopost's social commitment towards its employees and partners. It was achieved through constructive dialogue between Geopost management and UNI Global Union along with its affiliates. The addendum outlines clear objectives aimed at improving labor relations among Geopost's partners while contributing to sustainable development.

To implement these commitments effectively, UNI Global Union will initiate pilot schemes training trade unions and local managers at Geopost’s partner companies on applying these agreements practically. Additionally, all workers including those self-employed or at subcontractors will gain access to an independent grievance mechanism developed collaboratively with trade unions.

Geopost commits under this new framework not only integrating vigilance principles into corporate culture but actively collaborating with UNI Global Union preventing any negative impacts arising from its activities while continuing efforts raising awareness among employees about duty vigilance.