The situation in Turkey and union plans to step up global support for members of ITF affiliate Tumtis at DHL Turkey were high on the agenda at a joint ITF/UNI Global Union (UNI) meeting in Nyon, Switzerland. The event brought together trade unionists engaged in organising in the largest global delivery companies – DHL, UPS, TNT, Fedex and Geopost.
The trade unionists condemned the violence towards protestors in Istanbul and across Turkey and declared their support for the protests.
Representatives of the ITF, UNI, German trade union ver.di and Turkish ITF-affiliate Tumtis discussed the situation in DHL Turkey, where Tumtis members have been involved in an intense struggle with the multinational for over a year and 37 workers have been dismissed, simply for trying to organise a trade union. Plans were made to intensify the co-ordinated global effort in support for Tumtis, in order to ensure the reinstatement of dismissed workers and the establishment of a collective bargaining agreement with DHL in Turkey.
In a discussion led by the Global Labour Institute’s Dave Spooner, participants explored the issue of precarious work in the global delivery companies, where outsourcing and subcontracting affords workers no rights to a permanent contract or regular working hours.
Innovative approaches and methods for organising were discussed, utilising the experience of activists organising in the global delivery arena in Asia and Central and South America.
Participants looked at supply chain organising and the powerful role in affecting change that global delivery unions had in co-ordination with trade unions in the supply chain for goods and services.
Ingo Marowsky, ITF head of global supply chains, logistics and organising projects, commented: “Our unions in all the big companies – DHL, TNT, UPS, Geopost and Fedex – shared inspiring experiences of organising in their countries and the challenges they face. It’s clear that through co-ordinated global action by ITF and UNI unions, these companies will be held to account – no matter where they operate.”
The meeting passed a resolution condemning the TNT Group in Italy, which has cut 854 jobs, a third of the national TNT workforce, and backing the demands of the FILT-CGIL and FIT-CISL unions that the company revoke the job cuts and submit a corporate business plan. It also passed motions of support for UPS workers in Panama and DHL Employees Union in India.
Meanwhile, the ITF today made a statement to the Day-Mer Turkish community organisation in London supporting the protestors and condemning the government repression. The full statement can be viewed here.
