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).
Sendikamızda örgütlenen #MİTSUBA İşçilerine baskılar ve işten atmalar devam ediyor. #MİTSUBA İşyerinde işten atmalar ve sendikasızlaşmaya karşı işçiler direniş başlattı. #MİTSUBA işçileri işyerini terk etmiyor.#SendikaHaktırEngellenemez#AtılanİşçilerGeriAlınsın pic.twitter.com/7looQ5AvmS
— BİRLESİK METAL-İŞ (@BirlesikMetal) October 11, 2021
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.
@BirlesikMetal sendikasında örgütlenen mitsuba İşçilerine baskılar, sendikasızlaşmaya
— Birleşik İşçi Kurultayı (BİK) (@IsciBik) October 11, 2021
ve işten atmalar devam ediyor. Bu sabah işe giden sendikalı 5 işçinin daha işine son verildi.#MİTSUBA işçileri işyerini terk etmiyor.#SendikaHaktırEngellenemez#AtılanİşçilerGeriAlınsın pic.twitter.com/JFvpFA8zCq
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."
#Mitsuba işçisi hak, hukuk, Adalet istiyor... #Sadakadeğiltoplusözleşme pic.twitter.com/NH2p30cuqZ
— BİRLESİK METAL-İŞ (@BirlesikMetal) October 12, 2021
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."
#MİTSUBA İşyerinde işten atmalar ve sendikasızlaşmaya karşı işçiler direniş başlattı. Fabrikada metal işçileri içeri kapandı.
— BİRLESİK METAL-İŞ (@BirlesikMetal) October 11, 2021
iş yerini terk etmiyorlar. #DireneDireneKazanacağız pic.twitter.com/kmrMaJFJNA
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)
