Turquía - Metal workers dismissed and locked out for their trade union activities (2012)

In July, 62 workers represented by the Turkish metal union, Birleşik Metal-İş, affiliated to the International Metalworkers’ Federation (IMF), were locked out by the Turkish subsidiary of the German-owned engineering company GEA Group, after the company claimed that they took illegal strike action during tea breaks and lunchtimes. An expert’s report, commissioned by GEA, found these claims to be untrue while a separate investigation found that workers had been denied access to their place of work. In late November, a Gebze court ruled that four workers who were dismissed on 31 May should be reinstated.