ITF Seeks to Improve Driver Working Conditions as IKEA Talks Begin
6th September 2017
Global union federation the ITF (International Transport Workers’ Federation) has started talks with IKEA which the union says are aimed at eradicating exploitation from the Swedish furniture giant’s European supply chain. The above image, produced by the ITF as a mock-up of a typical IKEA catalogue, illustrates the kinds of issues the unions allege the drivers are facing.
The two organisations met on Friday to discuss concerns raised by trade unions about conditions for drivers in companies contracted by IKEA. According to the ITF, IKEA told the meeting that it takes the concerns very seriously and wants to cooperate with unions to achieve a solution that assures decent working conditions for all drivers transporting IKEA goods.
ITF road transport section vice-chair and ETF (European Transport Workers’ Federation) president Frank Moreels was at the meeting. He commented: “This meeting was an important first step, and I welcome IKEA’s taking the issues raised by European unions seriously.”
“The fact is,” he continued, “that some multinationals are facilitating social dumping and unfair competition in their supply chains by not tackling these problems, or improving contract pricing practices. Multinationals need to engage better contractors on safe rates or force their current contractors to meet higher standards and conditions. IKEA is to be congratulated on being the first multinational of its kind to take steps towards that aim, and to do it in collaboration with trade unions.”
He continued: “We will not be satisfied until we have a solution where truck drivers get working contracts in the countries where they actually work, giving them the rights and protections they need.”