Never Mind ECG, Join A Real Trade Union

September 21 2020

Image credit: Vytautas Kielaitis / Shutterstock.com
Monday 21st September 2020

It’s good practice for your employer to let you know what’s going on at work, and about any planned changes.

But DHL Parcel’s method of communication gives managers the flexibility to tell you what they want, how they want, when they want.

The ECG started life as an ‘employee consultative group’. It was originally set up to listen to the views of all employees, and to take them into account.

But meaningful consultation means talking about workplace issues in order to canvass opinion and being able to offer ideas that contribute to the effective running of the company.

In order to move away from this approach, DHL Parcel renamed the ECG the ‘employee communications group’. This completely changes the status of the Group and represents a move away from ‘involve and consult’ to ‘tell them what to do’. 

That is why now, it’s more important than ever to build an effective, independent trade union on site.

One of the major benefits of having independently elected representatives is that we can negotiate with the company over issues that affect you and help to give you a bigger say over what happens in your workplace.

Negotiation is an important part of employer-employee relations. And if the CWU membership continues to grow, we could obtain full negotiation rights to discuss the bigger issues, like pay, hours, holidays and new working practices.

Having the ECG does not stop you having a Trade Union on site. In fact, DHL recognises Trade Unions across all sectors of its business, and this can apply at DHL Parcel too.

Despite what the company may tell you about not needing a recognised union on site, the CWU regularly secures big wins in companies where they are recognised – and it would be no different at DHL Parcel.

This is because employees who are members of a trade union have additional rights to independent representation at formal meetings and access to free legal advice too.

So if you want to change things for the better, now is the time get involved.

It’s good to have the ECG but it’s not the same as having an independent Trade Union.

The ECG belongs to DHL Parcel – The CWU belongs to you.

• If you are a DHL Parcel worker and would like to find out how we can support you at work and how you can get more actively involved, please see here, get in touch at dhl@cwu.org or text/call 07894 461710