Restrictions on freedom of association and collective bargaining are systemic in warehousing, and they undermine every other human right risk in this section. Restrictions on freedom of association are systemic in warehousing, and they undermine every other right in this section. Fragmented sites, agency employment, outsourcing and high turnover make organising difficult, and workers on short-term contracts fear that joining a union or raising a concern will end their contract.
Warehouse workers also face direct and indirect anti-union practices. Employers oppose and actively campaign against organising and union recognition and penalise workers for joining and being active in organising. Where unions are recognised, bargaining is delayed and agreements left unimplemented, and workers' representatives are denied the time and facilities to carry out their functions during working hours. Migrant workers are the most exposed since immigration status and dependence on the employer for housing or continued work can all be used to deter union activity.
Without effective worker representation, transparency falls and risk identification weakens, allowing abuses such as excessive hours and unsafe conditions to persist undetected. Under ILO Conventions 87 and 98, and as reflected in the OECD Guidelines and the UNGPs, freedom of association and collective bargaining are fundamental rights and enabling rights: their denial makes broader human rights violations across supply chains substantially more likely.
For more on freedom of association and collective bargaining, see the Risks Across Transport guidance.