Collective Bargaining Agreement Signed With DHL
The union struggle at DHL that started two years ago has finished with significant success, both for the workers and the union movement. Negotiations that began on 06 November 2013 between TÜMTİS and DHL resulted on 22 April 2014 with a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). This is the first CBA signed with DHL. After UPS second term agreement, DHL become the second multinational company organized in Turkey.
The agreement is nationwide and will cover over 2,200 members. The contract includes social, economic and administrative regulations. The contract provides members with social security, regulates DHL` use of subcontracting, and makes 750 subcontracted workers into direct DHL employees with permanent workers’ wage effective as of 01 January 2014. Provisions on social benefits include education stipends for families and assistance for marriages, maternity periods and deaths in families. With wage increase and bonus provisions, workers’ remunerations will increase between 32 and 46 percent. 25 dismissed workers will be gone back their jobs at DHL by 01 May 2014 with cash payment for 4 months’ wage.
Despite all our insistence the company did not accept to reinstate of all dismissed workers. The company did not want to reinstate of 6 workers because they received severance and notice pay with union pay. Another worker was in probation period at DHL. The agreement was signed with the majority of the workers’ approval.
This victory is not just TÜMTIS’s victory but it is the victory of collective struggle and international solidarity. We keep on organising at logistics companies in Turkey with great power that comes from our members and international labor class.
