"Union accuses H&M of violating own policies in warehouse dispute", 30 November 2021

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Migrant workers at [H&M's] Tilburg warehouse in the Netherlands, run by US-listed GXO Logistics...said that security protocols...were eating into their break times...

The Federation of Dutch Trade Unions (FNV) said GXO had refused to open dialogue about requiring staff to work six days a week, leading 700 workers to petition the company over working conditions, saying their breaks had been reduced.

Warehouse management refused to accept the petition, the union said. GXO told H&M it would accept the petition but not while being filmed as FNV had demanded.

H&M said it strives to act ethically, transparently and responsibly and expects the same of its partners, while it had highlighted to GXO that its sustainability commitments require freedom of association for workers in its supply chain.

“We are confident that as the directly involved parties, GXO and FNV will use their best efforts to be fair, respectful and constructive in their dialogue and set the right actions for next steps,” it said.

GXO said it supports the right of free assembly and addresses staff concerns through Works Councils — internal employee representative bodies. “We comply with all labour regulations and policies and allegations to the contrary are false,” it added.

FNV says asking employees to raise their concerns through Works Councils...is not in line with H&M’s own guidelines on migrant workers, which allows for freedom of association with any trade union.

In an email response to the union, H&M said it “will take a neutral position” because it believed GXO’s local management offered to accept the petition and had not strayed from the retailer’s labour relationship principles and sustainability commitments...