Unilever Refuses to Give All Workers the Same Job Protection Deal

A powerful global workers' group says the company Unilever is refusing to give all of its workers around the world the same job protections. Unilever is merging with spice company McCormick in a $65 billion deal — one of the biggest food business mergers in years. As part of the deal, Unilever agreed to protect the jobs of workers in Europe for two years. But a union group called the IUF says Unilever won't make that same promise to workers in other parts of the world.

The IUF shared a memo with Reuters that explains the situation clearly. In the memo, the IUF says Unilever 'refuses to engage' with them about giving all workers the same two-year job guarantee. Unilever has said it will talk to unions in each country or region separately, but it won't agree to one big global deal. The IUF says this treats workers outside Europe unfairly.

Unilever is a giant company with about 96,000 employees around the world. Its food business made nearly €13 billion — about $15 billion — out of the company's total €50 billion in sales in 2025. Some of Unilever's most famous food brands include Knorr soups and Hellmann's mayonnaise. The IUF represents Unilever workers in about two dozen countries across five continents, including Indonesia, Brazil, and the United States.

The IUF said it was 'appalled,' or deeply shocked, that Unilever was treating workers differently based on where they live. Workers outside of Europe make up a huge part of Unilever's food business. Emerging markets — countries that are still growing their economies — made up 53% of Unilever's food sales last year. Europe only accounted for 30% of those sales, while Asia and Africa together made up nearly 40% and the Americas covered the rest.

Unilever responded by saying it is working well with worker representatives around the world. A company spokesperson said they have 'made good progress' talking with employee groups. But the IUF is not satisfied and says it will take further steps to push for a worldwide agreement. Even though the IUF cannot call strikes, it can run campaigns and file complaints with company partners to apply pressure.