Seventeen workers from the Peri Tekstil textile company in the southeastern province of Dersim were dismissed on Jul 24, following a dispute that took place on the company shuttle. Among the workers laid off were 14 women and 3 men who regularly commuted from Pertek to the factory located in the city center.
The workers allege that they were subjected to verbal abuse by a foreman on the day of the incident. The following day, they were denied access to the shuttle and had to make their own way to the factory.
Upon arrival, they say they were threatened by factory owner Selçuk Bozkurt, who allegedly told them, “Don’t push us to the edge. Do you want to be beaten?” They were not permitted to return to work and were forced to leave the premises.
The dismissals came shortly after the workers joined the United Textile, Weaving and Leather Workers’ Union (BİRTEK-SEN).
The textile factory located in the Pertek district is the only one in Dersim, a small city with a population of just over 84,000.
‘Shuttle dispute was just a pretext’
One of the dismissed workers, Evrim Altınkaynak, said the shuttle incident was merely a pretext for the layoffs, which were the consequences of deeper, long-standing labor violations.
“On Jul 25, we received official notice of our dismissal. The reason given was the argument on the shuttle,” she said. “But we had already been facing constant pressure from the employer and the foreman. The working conditions were extremely harsh. We were shuffled from one task to another.
"Shifts started at 08.00 and ended at 18.30. Our wages were not paid on time, and overtime pay was either missing or incomplete. We weren’t allowed to take our annual leave.”
Altınkaynak also stated that they had been working for years on minimum wage.
She said previous workers had left without receiving their legal entitlements, which led them to join the union. “We are facing both financial and emotional hardship. Our families, friends, and union are supporting us. This solidarity gives us strength.
"The employer refuses to reinstate us, saying, ‘I won’t work with unionized employees.’ We will not give up until we get our rights. We are calling on the public to support our struggle.”
'I don't recognize any union'
The workers said that a BİRTEK-SEN representative had attempted to meet with the factory owner but was rebuffed, with the factory owner saying, “Who do you think you are? I don’t recognize any union."
According to the workers, Bozkurt explicitly said he would not employ unionized workers and rejected calls for reinstatement.
BİRTEK-SEN Chair Mehmet Türkmen told bianet the employer had pressured workers to resign from the union, calling this a violation of their constitutional rights.
“Being part of a union allows workers to collectively defend their rights. Employers want to dismantle that organization. Pressuring someone to quit a union is a criminal offense,” Türkmen said.
He also accused the employer of intimidating workers still inside the factory and attempting to turn them against those outside. He claimed the employer was trying to portray the union and its supporters as part of an “illegal organization.”
Highlighting the role of women in the protest, Türkmen said, “This resistance shows that the problems faced by Peri Tekstil workers are not unique. In provinces like Antep, Malatya, Adıyaman, and Urfa, where we are organizing, women make up a large part of the workforce in the textile and garment industries.
"These women face more pressure, harassment, and gender discrimination than their male counterparts. What happened at Peri Tekstil has now become a struggle.
"This fight will give courage to all women workers facing the same exploitation. If their demands are met, it will be a landmark victory not only for Peri Tekstil workers but for all women in similar conditions across the region.”
Violations reported to Zara
Peri Tekstil was established in 2017 in the Tunceli Organized Industrial Zone. The company was expected to employ 225 people and made its first exports to Poland, Germany, the UK, France, Russia, Spain, the Czech Republic, and Romania. Its annual export volume was projected at 85 million euros.
Most recently, the factory had been producing for Zara. BİRTEK-SEN reported the labor violations at the plant to the company. Zara responded by announcing that it would conduct an inspection. (SÖ/HA/VK)
