The first collective agreement in the fast-fashion sector in Turkey was reached between H&M Turkey and Koop-Is Union — an affiliate of UNI Commerce. The CBA covers around 3000 workers and provides them with regular pay rises, bonuses, social and financial benefits, better working conditions, more days off and stronger job protection.
Koop-Is Union released a statement about the agreement, thanking H&M workers for their commitment to the union, and also to H&M for their commitment to social dialogue. Koop-Is said “Our fight at H&M has concluded with a victory and our demands have been met. We will try our best to increase productivity in the workplace, ensure work peace and protect brand value of the company. We will grow the pie and we will ask for what we deserve”.
“Once again, our global agreement with H&M and our global relationship with the company has been crucial in overcoming a major conflict and avoiding strike action,” said Head of UNI Commerce Mathias Bolton. “We hope that other companies will follow H&M’s example and cooperate with unions to negotiate and improve working conditions.”
“This is a groundbreaking agreement for the Turkish fast-fashion industry. We congratulate our affiliate Koop-Is for their successful negotiations and hope that this is the first of many in a rapidly growing industry,” said Laila Castaldo, Senior Coordinator at UNI Commerce .
With strike action looming and after 5 months of negotiations, an agreement was reached just two weeks before the termination of the legal bargaining process.
The first collective agreement in H&M Turkey will run from 01.06.2019 to 31.12.2021. According to the collective agreement:
- All workers will have 2 days off a week.
- Part-time workers will be provided with working schedules on a monthly basis.
- Workers will enjoy regular pay rises in addition to the rises of legal minimum wage in Turkey.
- All workers will be paid same amount of food allowance which will be updated regularly.
- Workers will be paid a bonus every year starting with 30 days of bonus in the first year, 35 days in the second and 40 days in the third.
- Workers will be paid social and financial benefits such as children allowance, seniority premium, transportation allowance, education allowance and foreign language incentives.
- Workers will enjoy longer paid annual and maternity leaves.
- Workers will enjoy higher levels of job security and union representation at the workplaces as well.
