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Action day shows support for sacked 305
29 August 2012
Trade unionists will show their support for 305 unfairly sacked Turkish Airline (THY) workers by targeting the company’s offices in major world cities tomorrow, 30 August. Supporters will publicise the plight of the 305 in Amsterdam, Brussels, Hamburg, London, New York, Stockholm and Tokyo.
In Belgium they will be leafleting THY passengers at Zavantem Airport; In New York, activists will gather to leaflet outside the Empire State Building, where the Turkish Airlines office is housed. Leafleting will also take place in Amsterdam, Hamburg and Tokyo airports, the company’s sales outlet in north London and at London’s Heathrow Airport. Further support for the campaign has come from trade unionists in Sweden who, during their congress this week, pledged their support for their Turkish colleagues. Tomorrow’s action is aimed at the management in Turkey and expresses solidarity with all the airline’s workers.
The ITF has organised a worldwide support campaign for the workers who, in an extreme measure by Turkish Airlines, were dismissed by text, email and phone after protesting against imminent legislation that would effectively deprive them of the right to strike. In the event, despite the country’s already stringent labour legislation, the new law was steamrollered through. Despite a commitment by the labour minister to intervene on the issue, the workers have not been re-employed. Full details can be found at www.reinstate305.org
ITF general secretary David Cockroft commented: “The 305 won’t go away and nor will we. The management of Turkish Airlines stands accused of a vindictive attack on its own workforce. Unpunished by a government that is its major shareholder, it thinks it has got away with it – but it hasn’t.”
ITF president Paddy Crumlin stated: “Trade unionists are demanding basic justice for the 305, for all THY workers and for everyone in Turkey. The right to strike is a fundamental right, guaranteed by international conventions that Turkey has signed. No government can or will be allowed to remove those foundations when it suits them and then hope to hide unchallenged behind the empty façade of compliance that remains.”
The leaflets being distributed can be seen here and here. The ITF has also produced a short film on the dispute, which can be seen at www.youtube.com/watch?v=aY7gNy0_LXg Pictures and film of the day's events will be added to the www.reinstate305.org site as they become available.
ENDS
For more information contact ITF press officer, Sam Dawson.
Direct line: + 44 (0)20 7940 9260.
Email: dawson_sam@itf.org.uk
International Transport Workers' Federation - ITF:
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Email: mail@itf.org.uk
Web: www.itfglobal.org
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