Petrol-İş, the Petroleum, Chemical and Rubber Workers Union affiliated to the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers’ Unions (ICEM), came under a barrage of attacks from employers in reaction to its vigorous organising campaign. On 7 January, 15 Petrol-İş members were sacked for their union membership by the India-based Polyplex company, that manufactures polyester film in Corlu province. The company had previously sacked another six union members in December 2010.
Petrol-Is also recruited 53 members at Demo Plastik, a subsidiary of the French-based company AFE Plasturgie, located in the city of Bursa, which had 109 employees. When local managers learned of the union organising, they immediately dismissed ten trade union activists. All the dismissed people then started to picket outside the plant. The management continued to exert pressure on union members to resign from the union and the situation grew worse. The employer dismissed all the workers who refused to leave the union.
Some progress was made early in the year at Sa-ba Endüstriyel Ürünler İmalat ve Tic. A.S., an auto-parts supplier to multinationals such as Ford, Isuzu, Fiat, and Renault. In December 2010, the company dismissed 99 workers after Petrol-Is started organising. However, after a series of meetings with management, Petrol-İş was recognised as a bargaining partner and all dismissed workers who wished to return were reinstated.