Turquía - Mass dismissals of workers who joined food workers union

International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF), a leading supplier of specialty ingredients to the global processed food industry, dismissed 30 workers between July and September 2015 for exercising their right to join a union. The Tobacco, Drink, Food and Allied Workers’ Union (Tekgida-Is) in Turkey organised workers at the Gebze factory and the Labour Ministry recognised the union as the bargaining unit on 18 June 2015. Workers formed a union in response to poor working conditions and serious health and safety concerns. IFF challenged this decision at the local labour court and began to dismiss union members.

Following the dismissal of a prominent union supporter, Tekgida-Is organised a protest action in front of the factory gate and issued a press statement on 7 September calling on IFF to respect union rights and stop pressuring workers to resign from their union.

When two active union members were dismissed the following day, workers demonstrated in front of the factory gate. Management increased the pressure on workers to resign from the union and suspended production for three days from 11 to 13 September. When workers returned to work on 14 September they learned that 17 more workers had been dismissed; ten more workers were dismissed later in September.

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