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Unilever Turkey Transport Workers Sacked for Joining Union

Posted to the IUF website 01-Jul-2008

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The Turkish transport workers' union T�MTIS, affiliated to the ITF, organized a press conference and demonstration in Istanbul on June 13 to highlight the mass sackings of workers employed by one of the two Turkish companies supplying transport services exclusively for Unilever.



Unilever operates two manufacturing facilities in Turkey, from which it supplies Turkey and the Middle East. T�MTIS began recruiting loaders last year at one of the transport companies, �ipa. Two union workers were dismissed in April, followed by 62 in May. The 64 workers, who have not even received redundancy pay, have held a daily picket. The IUF, ITF and the Unilever European Works Council sent solidarity messages to the union for their June 13 rally. IUF and ITF are exploring joint initiatives to pressure Unilever to have �ipa reinstate the victimized workers and recognize the union.