Unifor members held rallies at various DHL locations across Canada Sept. 22, calling for fair pay and voicing several industry concerns.

The workers gathered outside DHL facilities in Ottawa, Brampton, Hamilton, Montreal and Quebec City, as well as in Richmond, B.C., Winnipeg, Calgary, and Edmonton. This comes amid the global Safe Rates campaign, initiated by the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF).

Owner-operators contributed to DHL’s 30% growth in Canada, but these couriers do not get the respect they deserve, Len Poirier, Unifor national secretary-treasurer, said in a press release.

She added that while DHL’s profits skyrocketed to $12 billion last year, trucking members “are getting tossed off to the side”.

“Our couriers don’t get an hourly rate, so they have to hustle to get more money,” she said.

Unifor cited route shortening as one of the obstacles to fair pay and safe work for DHL owner-operators. Other issues include intermodal trucking, contracting out, lack of bathroom access for drivers, as well as the industry’s increased insurance costs.

“Evidence shows that pay increases of as little as 10% can reduce accidents by 30%,” Unifor said in a press release, adding that business models in road transport have become unsustainable and lead to labor abuses.

The union is calling on the federal government and industry stakeholders to take action.

Low pay and unsafe conditions force drivers to take enormous risks to make ends meet, said Lana Payne, Unifor national president. “While this might make sense for the narrow interests of corporate shareholders, it is a disaster for everyone else.”