The collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between DHL and the Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de la Industria de la Aviación Civil y Similares (SIELAS) gives workers:
- work place union representatives.
- a 5.5 percent salary increase (inflation in Panama was 1.2 percent, February 2016).
- a right to buy ex-company vehicles before anyone else.
Earlier this month the ITF released a report into labour abuses by DHL in Panama, as well as in Chile and Colombia, which included the allegation that a DHL manager was reselling company vehicles for personal profit.
SIELAS general secretary Cristóbal Sousa said: “This is a big win for all DHL workers. It shows that organising and joining unions can make even anti-union companies like DHL sign an agreement that respects it workers, and gives them what they deserve.”
The agreement has come after years of negotiations between DHL and SIELAS. In 2015 the company even went to court to try and delay the process.
Antonio Fritz, ITF regional secretary in Latin America, said the agreement was only the beginning and the ITF will continue to work hard with its unions to make DHL respect all of its workers, wherever they are.
