Deputy ver.di chair Andrea Kocsis told a demonstration in support of workers sacked by DHL Turkey that the company had to enter dialogue with the workers and recognise their union, Tumtis.
Twelve ver.di representatives visited Istanbul from 3-5 February to show solidarity with the workers. DHL Turkey is part of Deutsche Post DHL in Germany and ver.di has a collective agreement with the parent company.
At the demonstration outside a DHL goods handling centre in Gebze, near Istanbul, the delegation encountered a strong police presence and state security guards equipped with shields, tear gas and batons.
Addressing the 100 or more strong demonstration, Andrea Kocsis said: “We do not need police protection and security but we need to have a meeting with the management and the recognition of Tumtis.
“It is almost a year since employees started to organise themselves in Tumtis, with the aim of concluding a collective agreement on pay and working hours to end the irregular working hours, lack of overtime pay and arbitrary use of staff. Since then more than 20 employees of DHL and its sub-contractors have been sacked for alleged poor performance. However, already two legal cases have shown that the employees were fired illegally, because of their union membership.”
She concluded: “Ver.di expects that Deutsche Post DHL, which accepts the right of workers to freedom of trade union organisation, should be making its operation in Turkey embark on a policy of social partnership.”
The ver.di visit followed reports that DHL Turkey managers are trying to force employees to join another, newly-formed union and hinting that it would be in their best interests to leave Tumtis. During the visit, another employee of a sub-contractor was dismissed.
