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ITF welcomes Strait of Hormuz temporary ceasefire but demands permanent protection for seafarers
Transport unions push for justice and equality at UN CSW70
Mental Health + Psychosocial Risk
Warehouse work exposes workers to significant psychosocial risks. High productivity targets, constant monitoring and unpredictable schedules can create intense stress and pressure.
Workers report being treated as components of a logistics system rather than individuals with rights and dignity.
The
Ergonomics and design
Warehouse work involves repetitive movements, heavy lifting, awkward postures and prolonged standing.
Poor workplace design and inadequate ergonomic controls can lead to musculoskeletal disorders affecting the back, shoulders, wrists and knees.
Manual handling tasks such as lifting boxes, stacking
Climate-Related Risks
Warehouse workers face increasing exposure to extreme temperatures and climate-related risks.
Uninsulated warehouses, loading docks and outdoor storage yards expose workers to temperature extremes and heat stress or cold stress depending on the climate and season.
Heat exposure is particularly
Exposure To Hazardous Substances, Biological Risks And Communicable Disease
Warehouse workers are exposed to hazardous substances, biological agents and communicable diseases depending on the goods handled and the working environment.
Risks arise from chemical products, cleaning agents, battery systems, fuel storage and damaged goods. In logistics environments handling food
Fatigue + Excessive Working Hours
Warehouse work is increasingly characterised by high productivity targets and rapid fulfilment cycles driven by e-commerce and same-day delivery expectations.
These pressures result in long shifts, mandatory overtime and intense work pacing.
Excessive working hours cause fatigue, which significantly
EFFECTIVE HREDD VIA STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT WITH THE ITF
Addressing human rights risks in warehousing and logistics requires HREDD that meaningfully involves warehouse workers and their trade unions in identifying, preventing and mitigating harm, and in delivering remedy.
The ITF Warehousing Principles set a floor for labour standards in warehousing
Wages, Working and Living Conditions
Warehouse work is increasingly shaped by subcontracting, precarious employment and fragmented supply chains, creating risks relating to wages, working conditions and living conditions.
Outsourced and agency-based models weaken accountability for fair pay and conditions, leading to low wages
