Türkiye: UNI and IUF in solidarity with striking PilenPak workers

Workplace representatives and officers of Türk-Metal, Tekgıda-İş and BASIN-İŞ trade unions organised a solidarity action in front of the PilenPak factory on 19 April after a month-long strike.

BASIN-İŞ union (the Press, Printing, Graphic and Packaging Industry Workers Union) of Türkiye, a UNI Global Union and TÜRK-İŞ Confederation affiliate, has called for a strike at Turkish packaging company, PilenPak Ambalaj, where workers have had enough of the company’s union-busting and are determined to defend their rights. BASIN-İŞ decided to strike after repeated attempts to negotiate with management and after using all available legal procedures.

PilenPak workers produce packaging for food and beverage companies including Mars and PepsiCo, and so the International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco, and Allied Workers’ Associations (IUF) has joined with UNI Global Union in calling for respect for the fundamental labor rights of PilenPak workers and stands in solidarity with their strike.

PilenPak Ambalaj management has responded to workers seeking to exercise their fundamental rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining with:

• Dismissals
• Intimidation tactics
• Filing of frivolous legal appeals to delay the right of workers and their union to collective bargaining

BASIN-İŞ President Savaş Nigar stated: “First we voted, then we elected our local shop stewards. Then we came to our strike tent in front of the PilenPak factory for our future. We will continue our struggle until we get our way. Long live unionisation, long live organised struggle!”

Here’s a video (in Turkish) of the action day.