Snapshot box

In July 2020, the French postal and telecommunication union, Sud-PTT, filed a claim against La Poste at the Paris High Court under the French Duty of Vigilance law, which requires certain companies to adopt a vigilance plan to prevent human rights risks within their supply chains. Sud-PTT argued that La Poste’s vigilance plan did not adequately address human rights risks relating to undocumented workers in its subsidiaries. La Poste opposed the claim, noting the French Duty of Vigilance Law lacked specific implementation guidance, causing legal uncertainty for companies. This case is not only the first in which a court has ruled on the merits of a vigilance plan under the 2017 law, but also the first time a company has been condemned for breaching it, making the decision especially significant.

The case, Fédération des Syndicats Solidaires, Unitaires et Democratiques des Activites Postales et de Telecommunications (Sud-PTT) v S.A. La Poste, is ongoing. 

Factual Background

The case was first brough to light by Sud-PTT after it was discovered that undocumented workers were interchanging papers and badges to work night shifts at the Chronopost platform (part of La Poste but subcontracted to Derichebourg). Sud-PTT argued that La Poste’s vigilance plan failed to prioritise the risks of illegal employment, criticising the lack of binding measures in the plan, as well as the limited number of audits and the alleged failure to systematically track subcontractors’ personnel.

Legal Argument

Sud-PTT asked the court to order La Poste to rectifiy its vigilance plan and to terminate contracts with its subcontractor Derichebourg, alleging the company hired undeclared workers. The union also requested a daily penalty of €50,000 for each day La Poste failed to comply with the ruling.

La Poste claimed that it already had a legally compliant vigilance plan and had performed a proper risk mapping exercise. The company also argued against publishing the full list of subcontractors and suppliers, pointing out the absence of  a legal obligation, as well as trade secret protection. La Poste requested the court to dismiss all of Sud-PTTs claims and to order the union to pay €10,000 in legal fees.

Legal Proceedings

In July 2020, Sud-PTT launched proceedings against La Poste in the Paris High Court, and it heard the case on 19 September 2023.

On 5 December 2023, the Paris High Court ordered La Poste to improve its duty of vigilance plan. It held that La Poste’s duty of vigilance plan was insufficiently detailed – rather than high-level references to human rights risks, duty of vigilance plans should identify specific risks and where they are likely to occur in a company’s operations. The injunction also ordered La Poste to improve the due diligence process, whistle-blowing mechanism, and internal control elements of its duty of vigilance plan.

Although the Court ordered La Poste to improve its vigilance plan, it did not grant a number of Sud-PTT's requests, such as a financial sanction, because the company had already started to improve its duty if vigilance plan. The Court also did not grant Sud-PTT's request for the publication of La Poste’s subcontractors and suppliers on the grounds of protection of trade secrets.

On 11 March 2024, La Poste announced that it was appealing the decision of the Tribunal.

On 17 June 2025, the Paris Court of Appeal rejected La Poste’s appeal, fully upholding the lower court’s judgment.

To date, La Poste is the first and only one to have been convicted under the Duty of Vigilance Law.

News Items

France: La Poste partially failed to respect Duty of Vigilance Law, rules tribunal, BNN Breaking, 5 December 2023

Court documents

Jugement du 5 décembre 2023, Tribunal judiciaire de Paris

Communiqué de presse, Cour d’appel de Paris, 18 June 2025

Décision de la cour d’appel en date du 17 juin 2025, Le Club des Juristes

La Poste statements

Devoir de vigilance : La Poste fait appel de la décision du Tribunal Judiciaire de Paris du 5 décembre 2023, 10 March 2024

Duty of vigilance: La Poste's reaction, 7 December 2023