ECONOMY
Date published: 12 October 2021 11:43
Modified On: 12 October 2021 15:06

Workers lock themselves in factory: 120 workers resist

After nine workers who became members of a labor union were dismissed from the Mitsuba factory in Kocaeli, 120 workers have locked themselves in the factory for their union rights.

İstanbul
Workers lock themselves in factory: 120 workers resist

* Photo: United Metalworkers' Union

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

Mitsuba, a Japan-capital automotive parts manufacturer in Kocaeli's Gebze, has dismissed nine workers who led the unionization of fellow workers under the roof of the United Metalworkers' Union of the Confederation of Progressive Trade Union of Turkey (DİSK).

While four unionized workers were dismissed in the last week of September, five workers were dismissed last Saturday without compensation.

In the face of their friends' dismissal, around 120 workers decided to resist and started the resistance by not leaving the factory yesterday (October 11).

The workers who left the 8:00-16:00 shift and came for the 16:00-00:00 shift got together and locked themselves in a room inside the factory.

Today marks the second day of their resistance. The workers are struggling for their dismissed fellow workers and a collective labor agreement. Workers demand that their union rights be granted.

Security wanted workers to leave the factory

On the first day of the resistance, the security directorate officials and Çayırova Sub-Governor Hasan Gözen came to the factory and met with the executives of the United Metalworkers' Union.

Several police teams and anti-riot water cannon vehicles were stationed outside the factory. Other workers working at other factories came in front of the factory and supported their fellow workers in resistance.

While the police reportedly called on the workers to "leave the factory", United Metalworkers' Union Secretary General Özkan Atar made a brief statement following their meeting with the security officials:

"We told the security officials that no intervention should be made against our fellow workers. We told them that workers were not struggling on an unlawful basis, but they were in fact in a position of self-defense. We informed them that when a meeting was held with the employers the day after, the issue would be tackled and our union could then take the necessary steps to ensure peace at the working place according to the conditions.

"If they intervene against the workers, this will have some social repercussions. Such things might not happen nicely, as they are expecting. Employers have been acting irresponsibly here."

United Metalworkers' Union Chair Adnan Serdaroğlu also said, "We are waiting, no one is leaving. We will evaluate the negotiations among ourselves. We raised a request for waiting without subjecting the workers to an intervention, they did not accept it. They wanted us to leave. And we will evaluate it and we will give our answer to them."

On the other side, the DİSK Press Union, the Confederation of Public Employees Trade Unions (KESK) and the İstanbul Medical Chamber have also expressed their support and solidarity with the workers.

What happened?

The DİSK United Metalworkers' Union was authorized to represent the workers at the factory. The factory management appealed against this authorization by taking legal action. The court sent the file to the authorized court. Ahead of the first hearing scheduled for January 2022, the employer started dismissing the unionized workers. (HA/SD)

Labor Rights union rights DÎSK dîsk DİSK mitsuba
https://bianet.org/haber/workers-lock-themselves-in-factory-120-workers-resist-251709
2024-05-20 02:50:00