ITF inaugural Warehousing, Distribution & Logistics (WD&L) conference goes towards holding every player in the supply chain accountable
Today’s (16 October) inaugural conference of warehousing, distribution and logistics workers at the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) Congress in Marrakech represents a key step in linking up transport workers across the global supply chain.
At the 2018 Congress, affiliates passed a motion to formalise the ITF’s commitment to WD&L workers, creating a steering group to lead the important work of establishing, enforcing and raising standards in this vital link in global supply chains. This meeting represented the first time that all 340 affiliates that declare WD&L members were able to come together.
Noting the significance of this conference, Chair Peter Lovkvist said: “Historically, ITF affiliate unions have been leaders in representing transport workers across road, rail, civil aviation and maritime, but with the evolving and expanding role of warehousing in supply chains, the ITF is poised to build off that strength to do the same for these workers. With 780,000 members across 120 countries, ITF affiliate unions are coming together to leverage their collective power to empower workers and hold employers, their clients and governments accountable.”
The conference agreed the key priorities endorsed by the Steering Group of organising in strategically important supply chains, establishing and enforcing standards and addressing the impacts of new technologies and shifting business models to protect and empower workers.
ITF General Secretary Stephen Cotton said: “We recognise that the traditionally low unionisation in warehousing means achieving these priorities will be challenging, but the time is long overdue to hold every player in the supply chain accountable. We are ambitious in our vision for warehousing, distribution and logistics as an integral element to establishing ITF as global supply chain union federation.”
Katie Finn, Warehousing, Distribution & Logistics Lead for ITF, provided the conference with a report on the 2023 affiliate survey of WD&L affiliates that has allowed ITF to:
- Determine union density in major global WD&L companies and create networks of those key unions None of this employer-based information was known prior to the survey.
- Expand the Maersk Network to include affiliates in Maersk’s inland operations, primarily in warehousing. By identifying and bringing together unions that currently represent WD&L workers at Maersk, the foundation is there to grow union membership and hold Maersk accountable for treatment of workers across its global operations.
- Collect data on ITF union density in key supply chains (automotive, clothing and retail, grocery and e-commerce). Thanks to this preliminary data, the ITF warehousing team have identified opportunities for organising and practical solidarity in the logistics partners in the supply chains of two strategically important sectors of Automotive and Clothing & Retail, priority work areas for 2025.
The importance of affiliate participation in the annual survey was stressed as delegates were encouraged to take part in the 2024 survey, which was launched in the conference. With increased participation, the information gathered will help to boost the power of ITF’s supply chain mapping and identify more opportunities to build power.
Jennifer Murray presented the ‘Women in Warehousing’ report to conference, outlining the continued work that unions are doing to ensure that women are central to the work, highlighting the global Women in Warehousing virtual event which took place in June 2024 and the upcoming research project that is exploring the impact of algorithmic management on women warehouse workers.
Conference saw the launch of the ‘Warehousing, Distribution & Logistics Principles’ programme by Stefan Thyroke, a project which ITF will use to establish and enforce standards in warehousing and across the supply chain. This powerful work emphasised the potential of organising across the sector.
Outgoing chair Peter Lovkvist shared the vision for the future of the ITF’s work in Warehousing, Distribution & Logistics and handed over to incoming chair, Matt Draper to present on the specifics of the future priorities. Two key programs to support the objective of establishing, enforcing and raising standards in warehousing were highlighted: Maersk Network Expansion and ITF Supply Chain Agreements.
Conference concluded with recognition of Peter's years of service and leadership in establishing the ITF as a supply chain global union federation through the work of the Warehousing, Distribution & Logistics Steering Group. Incoming chair Matt Draper from Unite the Union, UK, spoke to his commitment to continue to build and strengthen the work in ITF.
