In 1994 express mail and parcel deliveries accounted for 4.7 per cent of the international air cargo market. By the year 2014 this figure is expected to reach 31.4 per cent. The progressive liberalisation of postal and telecommunication services in a growing number of countries is opening up opportunities for the emergence and expansion of enterprises providing private courier services. This working paper was prepared in response to a Resolution adopted by the ILO's Joint Committee for Postal and Telecommunications Services in 1991, which called for research on The social and labour practices of MNEs in the courier service industry, in the light of the provisions of the Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy. The author examines the economic and political factors that are facilitating the globalization of courier services and the strategies adopted by four major Integrators, UPS, FedEx, DHL and TNT, to enhance the range of services offered and their competi