Turkish union secures DHL bargaining deal

The ITF (International Transport Workers’ Federation) and UNI Global Union today congratulated Turkey’s TUMTIS union, which has secured a nationwide collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with logistics giant DHL. The agreement will provide 2,200 workers at DHL Turkey with social security, regulate DHL’s use of subcontracting, and make 750 subcontracted employees into permanent workers. This CBA follows a two and a half year struggle by TUMTIS – with the support of the ITF, UNI and the international union movement – that culminated last November with it securing recognition as the lawful union of choice for DHL Turkey Supply Chain staff (visit).

TUMTIS president Kenan Ozturk explained: “This agreement includes social, economic and administrative regulations – including assistance with family education and at times of marriage, maternity and death in the family. With wage increase and bonus provisions, workers’ remuneration will increase between 32 and 46 percent.”

He continued: “On behalf of TUMTIS, I thank the ITF, UNI, the ETF (European Transport Workers’ Federation), ver.di, the NTF (Norwegian Transport Workers' Union) and all our union friends worldwide for their support and solidarity, their visits to the picket line and their worldwide mobilisation.”

Ingo Marowsky, ITF global head – supply chain and logistics, commented: “This is a moment that TUMTIS can take pride in. They secured the recognition that has led to  this CBA in the teeth of years of resistance by local management and a litany of obstruction by the government. This agreement undoubtedly has the potential to take both the workers at DHL Turkey and the company itself into a new era of success and cooperation.”

Christy Hoffman, UNI deputy general secretary, added: “This is proof that determination, international solidarity and justice win through in the end. This agreement lifts standards and lays the foundation for better relations with DHL into the future."

For the story of TUMTIS’ struggle at DHL Turkey and the international solidarity that sustained them during it please seewww.respectatdhlturkey.org

ENDS

For more details please contact:
Sam Dawson, ITF press and editorial manager. Tel: +44 (0)20 7940 9260. Email: dawson_sam@itf.org.uk

Richard Elliott, UNI Global Union director of communications. Tel:  +41 22 365 21 30. Email: richard.elliott@uniglobalunion.org