UNI Commerce Global Conference

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5 Key Themes

The UNI Commerce Global Conference will focus on 5 key themes:

Building Union Power – Resources
Health and Safety – Resources
E-Commerce – Resources
Future of Retail & Just Transition – Resources
Responsible Value and Supply Chains – Resources

More information on our work for each theme is available below together with some key research papers.

Latest Building union power

Commerce workers rise!

06.12.22

Hundreds of trade union activists and leaders from over 30 countries gathered in Atlanta, 6-9 December, to advance a global action plan on how to grow worker power in the commerce industry. UNI’s Commerce sector global conference, themed “Commerce workers rise! A global movement for our time,” tackled the key themes facing commerce workers globally:

Peruvian union wins ground-breaking collective agreement at H&M

08.09.22

UNI Global Union’s trade union affiliate in Peru has negotiated the country’s first ever collective agreement in the fast-fashion sector in a breakthrough deal with Swedish retailer H&M. The historic contract with Peruvian workers’ union, El Sindicato Unico de Trabajadores H&M Peru (SUTRA H&M), was signed in August. The agreement comes after a concerted organizing

Striking Walmart workers in South Africa win agreement

10.12.21

IKEA Korea Workers Union reaches first collective agreement in IKEA Korea

21.04.21

IKEA Korea workers’ win will hopefully be the first of many.

First CBA for Nike workers in Turkey

09.03.22

UNI Global Union’s affiliate in Turkey, Koop-Is, signed the first ever collective agreement for Nike workers in the country. The agreement, which will cover 263 workers in 11 Nike stores, makes major advances regarding wages and work/life balance. The win follows Koop-is’ successful negotiations with H&M collective in 2019 and is part of an ongoing effort to

UNI reinforces global agreement with Carrefour

05.10.22

UNI Global Union has today (5 October2022) renewed and reinforced its global framework agreement with Carrefour, promoting social dialogue, diversity and the fundamental labour rights of the multinational retailer’s 321,000 employees around the world, as well as thousands of workers in its global supply chain. The agreement was signed by UNI General Secretary, Christy Hoffman,

U.S. bookstore workers organize with UFCW

21.01.22

As the sales of printed books continue to rise in the United States during the pandemic, so too is the number of booksellers getting organized.

Latest Health and Safety

Unions join forces to stop violence and harassment in commerce

18.11.22

UNI Global Union and affiliated commerce unions across the world called on governments and retailers to stop violence and harassment against commerce workers on the second global action day on 17 November. Around 75 union representatives from 20 countries took part in a global webinar, organized by UNI’s commerce sector to focus on the best

ver.di seeks to eliminate violence against women commerce workers

25.11.22

UNI Global Union affiliate ver.di has launched a new initiative to strengthen protections for women against violence and sexual assault in the world of work. The campaign, kick-started by the German union’s women’s executive committee, is called “Strong together – Against violence in retail.” “Women working in retail are increasingly exposed to harassment. Female colleagues

Pandemic leads to global rise in violence in stores

06.04.22

A new report from UNI Global Union shows that Covid-19 has triggered a pandemic of violence against retail workers around the world. The report, which gathers evidence from trade union studies in over 20 countries, shows that while customer violence against retail workers was far from uncommon before the pandemic, it has since soared to

Unions demand action to end customer violence in stores

19.11.21

UNI Global Union affiliates from around the world united for a global action day on 17 November to demand that governments and retailers take action to end violence and harassment in commerce. Since the pandemic, there has been an explosion of third-party violence by customers towards workers across the retail sector, from supermarkets to fashion stores.

Chilean Senate Labour Committee approves bill for commerce worker safety

05.11.21

Yesterday, the Chilean Senate Labour Committee approved the bill #CierreALas7, legislation spearheaded by the Chilean Commerce Workers Alliance (ATCOMER). The bill aims to defend decent work and worker safety in the commerce sector by closing stores at 7 pm so that workers, a majority female, are not forced to fear for safety leaving work late at night,

Building worker power through health and safety

01.04.22

A new report from UNI Global Union shows how unions have risen to the challenges of Covid-19 and increased strength through organizing for occupational safety and health (OSH) improvements. A collaboration between UNI Global Union’s Care and Commerce sectors, the Safer Jobs & Stronger Unions, Building Worker Power Through Health & Safety report was launched

Usdaw wins new Scottish law protecting retail workers from abuse

22.01.21

UNI Global Union celebrates Usdaw’s win, calls for global push to expand protections for retail workers

Auchan and Carrefour sign landmark Declaration with UNI to tackle Covid-19

09.04.20

Latest E-Commerce

New wave of Black Friday strikes and protests in over 30 countries

24.11.22

On Black Friday, Amazon will face a new wave of strikes and protests in over 30 countries with a simple demand: Make Amazon Pay.

Unions, NGOs to turn Black Friday into Make Amazon Pay Day

03.11.22

Right as the Amazon Global Union Alliance was meeting In Brussels for the first in-person since the beginning of the pandemic, the Make Amazon Pay campaign announced today a major global day of action with strikes and protests in around 30 countries on 25 November, the shopping day known as Black Friday. The campaign charges Amazon with “squeezing every last drop it can” from “workers, communities and the planet” in the face of the cost of living scandal, global debt crisis and climate emergency.

UNI Global Amazon Alliance—Victory in France, Strikes in Spain and Germany, Pressure in the U.S., and more

25.01.19

Amazon organizing heats up this August

19.08.22

As temperatures swelter across the Northern Hemisphere this August, worker action at Amazon is also heating up. In country after country, unions, regulators and online influencers are redoubling efforts to change Amazon’s disgraceful—and potentially illegal—practices. “Amazon’s growth has dragged down wages and workplace safety standards, and workers across the world are at a breaking point.

UNI report highlights e-commerce tax avoidance

07.12.21

Amazon workers seek to form union

02.03.22

Riding a global wave of solidarity, Amazon workers, trade unionists and community allies gathered last Saturday in Bessemer, Alabama to support the historic campaign to organize what it could be the first Amazon union in the United States. “From Germany to Australia to Brazil the United Kingdom and even India – all over the

Report: E-commerce in the Covid-19 World – A challenge for workers and unions

11.12.20

Latest Future of Retail & Just Transition

Swedish commerce workers want sustainable sector

06.12.22

A new report by Handels Union of Sweden shows that commerce workers are eager to influence employers to reduce the commerce sector’s negative impact on the environment, and want a just transition to sustainability that also creates good working conditions. The report titled “Environment and climate as a trade union issue” is a compilation of

Car dealers deserve a Just Transition

17.06.22

As the global car industry heads full speed to producing electric vehicles, the impact is being felt as much by workers in the showroom as those involved in manufacturing. How best to defend sales workers in the face of this seismic shift was at the heart of discussions as UNI Global Union’s commerce sector held

Survey reveals staggering surveillance in commerce

03.03.22

UNI Global Union’s affiliate Handels, representing commerce workers in Sweden, has released a groundbreaking survey which analyses the impact that ever-increasing workplace surveillance has on workers. UNI is calling for surveillance and its impacts to be covered in collective bargaining agreements to ensure that workers have decency and dignity on the job. Throughout the pandemic,

New Study: AI & Automation in Retail

04.05.22

Together with the FES Competence Centre Future of Work, UNI Europa has published a new report titled “Artificial Intelligence and Automation in Retail. Benefits, challenges, and implications (a union perspective)” authored by Wil Hunt and Steve Rolf , Research Fellows at the Digital Futures at Work Research Centre (Digit) at the University of Sussex. The aim of

THE FACES BEHIND THE RAPIDLY INCREASING DEMAND FOR QUICK-AT-HOME-DELIVERY

07.10.22

Meet Jimmy from Bekasi, West Java, Indonesia. Jimmy is a father of two who works as a service delivery agent in Indonesia. His daily salary for delivering up to 150 packages? US$13 without allowance for food, transportation, or fuel. “On an average I get US$13 per day but have to shell out around US$1.75 for

Australian survey of retail workers reveals dire impact of precarious work

15.10.21

H&M workers protected under first digitalization agreement with ver.di

28.10.22

UNI Global Union affiliate’s German affiliate, ver.di, has signed the first ever digitalization agreement in the retail sector that promotes and protects the rights of 14,300 H&M workers over the next three years. The breakthrough deal, which was hammered out over the last six months, means that workers will have a greater say in how

Latest Value Chains & Due Diligence

Over 90 brands commit to garment worker safety with International Accord

01.09.21

Garment factory safety a priority in Pakistan

09.09.22

On the tenth anniversary of the horrific Ali Enterprises garment factory fire in Pakistan, UNI Global Union, IndustriALL Global Union and signatory brands to the International Accord are united in their commitment to launching a worker safety programme in the country as soon as possible. More than 250 garment workers were killed and over 50

UNI calls on brands to sign Accord on Rana Plaza anniversary

22.04.22

On the ninth anniversary of the Rana Plaza garment factory collapse, UNI Global Union is calling on more brands to sign the International Accord as the most effective means to uphold worker safety in the Bangladeshi textile and garment industry and fulfil their supply chain responsibilities in Bangladesh and beyond. A total of 171 global

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