A UK-based international trade union this week released what it calls the first set of global standards for workers’ rights in warehousing, distribution, and logistics, saying the principles are needed because e-commerce has exploded, but warehouse conditions remain “unsafe, precarious, and often invisible.”
To balance those workplace pressures, the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) said its “8 Principles for Decent Work” provide enforceable benchmarks for safety, fair employment, dignity, and rights on the job.
Those values serve to counterbalance industry problems such as low standards, unsafe conditions, short-term employment contracts, and inhumane algorithmic control, the group said.
“Warehousing is no longer just storage, it’s the engine room of the global economy,” Stephen Cotton, General Secretary of the ITF, said in a release. “But the workers who keep goods moving are too often invisible and exploited. These principles are a call to action for companies, governments, and consumers to raise the bar and protect those powering the global supply chain.”
The 8 principles are:
- Fundamental principles and rights at work: Grounded in the ILO Declaration, ensuring freedom of association, non-discrimination, and a safe working environment.
- Safe jobs: Identifying and managing workplace hazards and ensuring worker participation in health and safety planning.
- Secure and decent jobs: Advocating for stable, full-time employment, living wages, social protection, and fair scheduling.
- Harassment and violence-free workplaces: Mandating strong anti-violence policies, gender-responsive redress mechanisms, and safe commuting.
- Responsible use of technology: Calling for algorithmic transparency, limits on surveillance, and collective consultation on tech deployment.
- Just Transition for climate-ready warehousing: Integrating decarbonisation with job security and resilience planning.
- Freedom of association and collective bargaining: Reaffirming the right to unionise and negotiate, even in restrictive jurisdictions.
- Effective grievance mechanisms: Promoting accessible, equitable, and rights-based redress systems with continuous learning and transparency.
“A stable and ethical supply chain is simply not possible without decent work,” Cotton said. “With more than 150 million workers globally in warehousing, logistics and transport, the ITF’s new standard has the potential to transform lives, and the supply chain stability that economies rely on.”
