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Call for solidarity with sacked DHL workers in Turkey
8 August 2012
The ITF and global union partner UNI are calling on affiliated unions to show solidarity with DHL workers in Turkey who have been sacked in what appears to have been an anti-union attack.
The 24 warehouse workers, were dismissed in July at DHL’s warehouses in Kıraç, Esenyurt and Gebze. The move seems to have been triggered by an organising drive by the ITF-affiliated union Türkiye Motorlu Tasit Isçileri Sendikasi (TÜMTIS).
Despite ITF and UNI efforts to facilitate talks between management and TÜMTIS, DHL has failed to engage in meaningful dialogue with the union and is adamant that it will not reinstate the workers. As a result the ITF and UNI have now launched a campaign for solidarity action with the workers, beginning with union protest letters to the company.
Ingo Marowsky, ITF organising globally coordinator, said: “These workers appear to have been sacked for exercising their fundamental right to organise and be part of a union. We cannot stand by and watch DHL wilfully undermine workers’ rights in this way. That’s why we are making this call for solidarity. We are also working with TÜMTIS to coordinate further action in support of workers should this dispute not be resolved.“
At the end of last month, ITF maritime coordinator Stephen Cotton met TÜMTIS leaders at the picket line to discuss the sackings and highlight the ITF's support for the workers.
Send your protest letter to the company here.
View photos from the picket line here.
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