CHP Leader Özel visits Polonez workers: 'We will show you our power that comes from consumption'

The resistance of the Polonez workers, who were fired from the Polonez factory in Çatalca, Istanbul, for joining a union, has been ongoing for 153 days. CHP Leader Özgür Özel visited the resisting workers in Çatalca. Warning the Polonez factory, Özel said, “We will stand against those who violate workers' rights.”

“I ALSO COME FROM THE STRUGGLE”

Starting his speech by addressing the Polonez workers, Özel said:

“My dear Polonez laborers, Polonez workers, first of all, I salute your honorable struggle on behalf of our more than 1.5 million members, the 17.5 million voters who voted for our party, and all the citizens in Turkey who I wholeheartedly believe would share the same feelings and show the same reaction if they, their children, spouses, or mothers were in this situation. I come here from the streets just like you; I come from activism, I come from organizing, I come from the struggle, I come from Soma.”

“THEY ARE ADMITTING TO BEING SLANDEROUS AND SHAMELESS”

Pointing to the speech made by Tekgıda-İş Union Chairman Mustafa Türkel regarding the inability to exercise union rights in Turkey, Özel said: “As the Chairman expressed a moment ago, unfortunately, shameful things are happening in Turkey. Code-46 means firing someone for a disgraceful crime without severance pay and without qualifying for unemployment insurance, as if they had done something terrible. It is written in the Constitution; every worker has the right to be unionized, you are exercising that right, and you want to defend your labor together. Unfortunately, a Jordanian company came, bought it in Turkey, and made an investment. They are making money through our people, they are exploiting the sweat of our laborers, this is not something that can be accepted. And they are shamelessly, brazenly writing ‘Code-46’. When asked what Code-46 means, ‘What crime did these people commit that you wrote 46?’ they say ‘They committed theft,’ and they resort to lies by saying ‘They disclosed my secrets.’ Later, look at how they admit it themselves by changing it to ‘04’. That is, they change it to ‘termination for just cause.’ In other words, they are frankly admitting that they are slanderous and that they have become shameless enough to call you ‘thieves’ because they cannot use the fact that you are in a union struggle as an excuse for firing you.”

“WE WILL SHOW YOU OUR POWER THAT COMES FROM CONSUMPTION”

“I invite our entire nation to hold those responsible for this when they see the name Polonez,” said Özel, calling on citizens: “Now let everyone in Turkey see how low this company can stoop. Wherever they see the name of this company, as long as they do not give you your rights—meaning the Minister promised and intervened, but as long as this company does not give you your rights—wherever I see the name Polonez, I will see the name of a slanderer who tries to brand my sisters, mothers, and siblings as ‘thieves’ just because they are unionized. I say to this company, ‘We will not let you get away with this. Workers use their power that comes from production, and sometimes citizens use their power that comes from consumption while supporting them.’ I am warning Polonez: ‘If you meet with these workers as soon as possible, as you promised the Minister and the union, give them their rights, and respect their union struggle, then you have settled this matter. Otherwise, we won't care if your sausage was spicy or sweet. We will show you our power that comes from consumption.”

“THOSE WHO PREVENT YOU ARE THE ONES ACTING AGAINST THE CONSTITUTION”

Continuing his speech by reminding them of the laws, Özel noted:

“In 2019, the Soma workers set out to march to Ankara, just like you. They stopped them 20 kilometers away from Soma and said, ‘The law on demonstrations does not cover intercity travel. It prohibits intercity marching.’ Law 2911. ‘It prohibits it. You cannot march,’ they said. Our workers stopped there. They got up and applied to the courthouse in Kırkağaç. They said, ‘This is against the Constitution, how can I not be allowed to march?’ The court said, ‘Well, I don’t know if it is against it or not. The law was passed in 1983, right after the martial law. I will ask the Constitutional Court about this.’ It went to the Constitutional Court, and months later, the Constitutional Court ruled on the application made to it in October 2019 regarding this march and said, ‘This is against the Constitution. If workers need to go to Ankara to seek their rights and want to make their voices heard by marching, they can exercise this right.’ In other words, those who prevent your march are the ones acting against the Constitution. Your march is a right to the end, and when you decide to march, we are all by your side, we are behind you.” 

“WE WILL STAND AGAINST THOSE WHO VIOLATE WORKERS' RIGHTS”

Demanding the rights of Polonez workers, Özel addressed all bosses in Turkey and concluded his words with the warning: “I am saying this both to Polonez and to all bosses and companies that employ workers in Turkey. If your workers are satisfied with you, we are satisfied too. If you are giving your workers their rights, our citizens will consume the goods you produce with great pleasure and within their means. But if you violate the rights of workers, and especially if you try to slander innocent, blameless people as ‘thieves and scoundrels’ just because they are unionized, then we are on the side of the workers, and we are against you to the end. If you give Polonez their rights, you have settled it; if you don't, one day we will make a call to use our power that comes from consumption, and after that, all of you, especially the Polonez firm that violates the rights of Polonez workers, will regret it a thousand times over. We are telling both the employer of Polonez and all employers in Turkey: We will stand against those who violate workers' rights, and we will use our power that comes from consumption against whichever firm that is.”