Dear Friend,
I am writing to ask you to sign the petition below and support the growing resistance of the metal workers in Turkey.
The resistance which started with Renault workers and spread across TOFAS, Coşkunöz, Mako and Valeo workers has now encouraged Ototrim factory workers and Ford Otosan workers in Bursa and Kocaeli to take action as well. The participation of 15,000 metal workers has strengthened the resistance. After just one week the resistance continues to grow with more workers joining ranks and taking industrial action.
The metal workers’ demands:
1 – Assurance that that no workers will lose their jobs for taking part in this resistance.
2 – The removal of the Turkish Metal sign at the factory sites and the right for workers advocates to sit on the workplace representative body.
3 – The wage rate to be renewed in line with the Bosch agreement.
The workers are united in their call for an end to the opaque relationship between the government, bosses and Turkish Metal representatives against the workers.
As the resistance spreads across Turkey, The Turkish Metal Employers’ (MESS) Federation have made threats during meetings held via the local governor in order to end the growing resistance. The deputy prime minister responsible for economic development, instead of engaging with the workers’ demands and their legitimate cause, has instead made announcements blaming the workers for the current situation. He has also encouraged the police to forcibly remove current workers occupying the factory site. Meanwhile Turkish Metal representatives are visiting sites which have not yet taken industrial action to pursue a smear campaign of lies (for example, accusing workers on strike with being part of illegal organisations and depicting them as trouble makers). The workers have also been accused of being a tool of the French bosses and have been directly and indirectly threatened for taking industrial action. In spite of the threats and pressure the resistance has continued to grow in strength and number.
The workers state that at all the meetings held between them, the local governor, and employer representatives they are threatened by the local governor and are being told that their demands will be reviewed once they go back to work.
The demands made by the Metal works are seen as necessary and vital by all sections of the workforce. The resistance continues to grow and there is growing support from academics, intellectuals, workers’ organisations, who are all in favour of improving workers’ rights. The support for the workers continues to grow across all sections of the nation despite pressure from MESS, the government, the media, the local governor and the police. The site of resistance is also being used to host all sections of the workforce in the evenings for discussing and making decisions.
Let’s strengthen International Solidarity
In order for Metal Workers to win on this issue along with support across Turkey they also need the support of academics, trade unions, intellectuals and workers in Europe. There are currently European employers who are also part of the threats made against the workers and we must support the workers just cause and remind them that they are not alone in their struggle.
In support of the workers’ resistance we kindly ask you to sign the petition below and send it to [email protected] as soon as possible. We will also share these messages of support from workers, trade unions and academics with national newspapers and TV stations which closely follow the Metal workers resistance.
Long live the metal workers resistance and international solidarity.
Oktay Sahbaz
Day-mer Community Organisation
To the public and press
I/We the undersigned, support the Metal workers resistance in Turkey and their current demands which are:
1- There should be assurance that no worker(s) will lose their jobs for taking part in this resistance.
2 – The removal of the Turkish Metal sign at the factory sites and the right for workers’ advocates to sit on the workplace representative body.
3 – The wage rate to be renewed in line with the Bosch agreement.
I/We would like to stress that we support the workers just cause and they are not alone in their struggle.
| Name | Occupation |
