UNI Global Union and Geopost strengthen and extend global agreement

UNI Global Union and Geopost have signed a groundbreaking addendum to their 2017 global agreement, expanding Geopost’s human rights responsibilities to more workers within its operations, including subcontractors. Notably, the new addendum includes a commitment to limit subcontracting to a single tier, setting a new benchmark for responsible outsourcing in the sector.

*From left to right on the picture: Jérôme MORIN, General Secretary of CFDT- F3C ; Christine SIMON, Responsible for Postal Sector of FO- COM ; Yves Delmas, CEO of Geopost ; Christy Hoffman, General Secretary of UNI ; Romain Boillon, Member of Federal Secretary of CGT-FAPT

Christy Hoffman, General Secretary of UNI Global Union, commented: “Geopost has expanded in recent years to become a truly global company, and UNI welcomes the extension of our 2017 agreement to meet some of the challenges which accompany this growth. With this addendum, we make clear that the commitments of our global agreement also apply to its many workers who are supplied through subcontractors. Our negotiations with Geopost have furthered our shared goal of advancing human rights throughout the company’s operations, with a firm focus on the fundamental rights of freedom of association and collective bargaining for all workers.”

Yves Delmas, CEO of Geopost, said: “With the signature of this agreement, we are reaffirming our strategic ambition to become the international reference of sustainable delivery through our Employer of Choice and Partner of Choice programmes. We are committed to continuous social progress, which lays at the heart of our positioning and strategic differentiation, as we believe our employees and partners are our greatest assets and best ambassadors. This first addendum promotes our desire for continuous improvement and drives sustainable action for our employees, our partners and our customers.”

Building on a pioneering 2017 agreement between UNI Global Union and Geopost

Geopost and UNI Global Union have signed an addendum to their 2017 global agreement which clearly establishes the obligations of subcontractors to respect the human rights of their workers.

The 2017 agreement, which covers Geopost workers in 50 countries, sets global standards for workers’ rights, including the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining, as well as dignified working conditions, transparency and sustainability.

In a groundbreaking addition, the addendum marks the first in the postal and logistics sector to commit to limit subcontracting, ideally to a single tier. This is especially important in an industry that relies heavily on subcontractors (also known as partners) for delivery. It also sets a precedent by ensuring the strong involvement of trade unions in Geopost’s compliance with due diligence obligations – going beyond the requirements of French law.

The signing ceremony took place on 22 July 2024 in Paris with Christy Hoffman, General Secretary of UNI Global Union and Yves Delmas, CEO of Geopost. Also present, and signing the agreement, were the French affiliates of UNI Post & Logistics (CGT-FAPT, CFDT-F3C, FO-COM) and their respective trade union leaders.

The new agreement marks an important stage in Geopost’s social commitment to its employees, trade unions and partners. It was made possible by constructive dialogue and close collaboration between Geopost’s management and UNI Global Union and its affiliates, and defines clear objectives and concrete actions to ensure that Geopost’s duty of care commitment lives up to the expectations of its stakeholders.

The addendum aims to establish a basis for improved labour relations among Geopost and its partners, unions and workers, with the specific intention of contributing to Geopost’s sustainable development and performance.

Implementation

As part of the implementation of this commitment, UNI Global Union will set up pilot schemes to to train trade unions and local managers at Geopost’s partners on how to apply the agreement at the company level.

In addition, all Geopost workers, including those who are self-employed or working at subcontractors, will have access to a new, independent grievance mechanism, which will be drawn up in consultation with trade unions.

Under the new agreement, Geopost commits to integrate principles of vigilance into its corporate culture, and to work actively with UNI Global Union and its trade unions to prevent, identify and remedy any negative impacts of Geopost activities. In this regard, Geopost will continue to put in place tools and resources to train and raise awareness among employees and partners about duty of vigilance.

At the same time, Geopost, with support from UNI Global Union, will establish rigorous monitoring mechanisms to evaluate performance and make continuous improvements.