Global delivery workers fight back against alleged bullying

Workers at ITF-affiliated Unite the Union took action on unreasonable workloads and alleged bullying with a 24-hour strike, which started at 00.01 on Friday 22 November in London, UK. RMT members also visited to show their support.

Onay Kasab, Unite regional officer, explained the background to the strike at the picket line: “It’s a very basic issue, it’s about being able to start and finish work at a reasonable time. The UPS workers here are not allowed to finish at their contractual finish time, they are forced to work overtime. If the delivery workers miss deliveries, they are disciplined. The workers loading the lorries are treated no better – the nickname for where they work is the chicken coop. Nobody should be working like this in this day and age – it’s about dignity, respect, having a reasonable workload and finishing work at the time they’re supposed to finish work.”

The picket line disrupted lorries in and out of the Camden depot, UPS parcels’ largest in Europe, for some time this morning.

ITF assistant coordinator – supply chain and logistics, Alen Clifford, who attended the picket, describe the energy on the line as amazing. He praised the efforts of Unite and RMT members to defend basic working rights, and underscored that the workers showed that they won’t accept being bullied or given unmanageable workloads.

Learn more about the ITF’s work organising in global delivery companies

Hear Onay Kasab live from the picket line

Check out pictures from the dispute on our Flickr subset