Flormar Workers: We Learn That March 8 is Not About Flowers, But About Labor

Click to read the article in Turkish

It has been 295 days since a group of women working for the Flormar cosmetics company were dismissed from their jobs for unionizing. Since then, they have been protesting in front of the Flormar Factory in Gebze Industrial Zone in İzmit with the demand to be reinstated in their jobs.

Sitting right under the canvas with "Color for every you" written on it, women have not been only protesting the company, but also knitting scarves and caps, having a chat with each other or feeding their children.

Some of the Flormar worker women have spoken to bianet on the occasion of the March 8 International Women's Day:

"State should say 'Stop' to the boss"

One of these women, Pınar Koca, has stated that they will repeat their demand for reinstatement on March 8 as well, adding that being in the field of resistance is of considerable importance for her:

"In this field of resistance, we have come to understand the value of unity and togetherness. We have learnt to defend our rights. We have seen how alone we are as workers. There are some who are supporting us, but the ones who actually have to stand with us are not by our side.

"My friends here have taught me how to knit. We are contributing to our resistance here by knitting scarves and caps. We have sold over 400 caps so far.

"We wish that the state was also on our side, just as we are defending our rights. The state is on the side of the boss, not that of the workers. The state should learn to say 'Stop' to the boss.

"It is the aim of our resistance. The state should teach the boss that he cannot fire people as he wishes."

"March 8 is about getting one's labor's worth"

Another woman worker, Aylin Bülbül, has also reminded that they were dismissed from their jobs for unionizing and emphasized that being a member of a union is a constitutional right:

"I graduated from the 19 Mayıs University in Samsun. I started working at this factory because I could not find a job. I worked there for a year, then, we became a member of the union. Afterwards, they fired us.

"We have been resisting here for 10 months. We thought that no one was hearing our voices, but it is apparently not the case. There are those who are supporting us as well as the ones attempting to prevent us.

"I used to think that March 8 is something about buying flowers and giving them to one another. While I am resisting here, I have learnt the history of March 8. March 8, in fact, means resistance. March 8 is now about getting one's labor's worth, not about flowers or roses."

"The ones who used to call us 'FETÖ members' now say 'End the protest'"

Nurhan Güler has also said the following to bianet:

"We used our constitutional right. They fired us. Now, we are resisting. We sat there, come rain or come shine. We have never taken a step back.

"The ones who dismissed us first called us FETÖ members or terrorists; but, when they saw that the courts are on our side, they said, 'Just get your compensation and go away from here.' We don't care about the compensation, we want to return to our jobs with our honor."

"We will resist until we get our due"

Stating that she was dismissed from her job for unionizing, Meral Aktaş said that the response of the employer was not right:

"Here, we have, above all, learnt to lay claim to our rights. This place is now like a school for us. I don't think that there is a single woman who leaves this place without learning anything.

"We have become like a single family here. We are raising our children here. Our families come here to see us. This field of resistance is like our homes.

"And we don't just come here and do nothing. On the contrary, we are expressing our demands with our slogans and folk dances. We will continue resisting until we get our due."

"We want equal working conditions"

Ayşe Öztürk has also stated that March 8 means resistance for her:

"We have labored and combined our labor with our resistance. We have been struggling here for more than 290 days. We are entering March 8 with a struggle. We will celebrate it with a struggle.

"We hope that we will have other rights. We hope that we will live equally and proceed on our ways with a free will. Our sole expectation form March 8 is equal working conditions."

(EMK/SD)