The strike by Bel workers in Turkey for the right to collective bargaining entered its sixth month as international solidarity has continued to grow. Though Groupe Bel claims to uphold human rights in its corporate policies, in practice the French multinational company practices union-busting and seeks to maximise profits at the expense of local communities in Turkey.
When the majority of workers at Bel Karper in Corlu joined the IUF affiliate Tekgıda-İş in April 2015, instead of recognising the workers’ right to organise and collectively bargain, the company went on an almost six-year legal battle to deny workers their rights. On 26 November 2020, the Supreme Court ruled in the union’s favour and approved the union’s bargaining status. Despite the Labour Ministry’s issuance of a certificate of bargaining union status on 5 January 2021, Groupe Bel refused to enter into negotiations, and so the workers had no option but to exercise their legal right to strike, which they did on 17 May 2021.
The IUF has repeatedly called on Groupe Bel to enter into negotiations with Tekgıda-İş and is actively campaigning to push Groupe Bel to the negotiating table.
