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German union wins majority on UPS works council

15 March 2010

Union representatives and their allies in Germany won a majority on a UPS central European hub works council recently.

The works council election, which takes place every four years, saw the ITF-affiliated German union Ver.di win ten seats out of a total number of 19, providing UPS’s Cologne employees with strong representation. Some 79 per cent of the 2080 workers based at the hub voted in the election on 12 March, an exceptionally high turnout. The success is set to strengthen the standing of the union over the next four years.

Works councils are part of Germany’s system of co-determination and workers’ participation and set the political framework for trade union involvement in small companies and large multinationals alike.

The ITF supported the election process to ensure continued strong trade union representation at this strategic hub in UPS’s global distribution system. The campaign, which was overshadowed by allegations of possible racist behaviour by management, was won by a clear majority.

ITF global organising coordinator Ingo Marowsky commented: "We are happy that our engagement has contributed to this significant result. Our ‘organising’ philosophy with its strategic look at the work we do has made this case a clear target for support. Add an active network of shopfloor activists to the mix, and you have a powerful combination and a recipe for success."

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