Workers at major company in protest: 'Our struggle will continue until we enter the factory'
While Ekol Ofset produces for global companies such as Burger King, Coca-Cola, KFC, McDonald's, and Nestlé, the workers who bear the entire burden of production have long been forced to work under low-wage policies and without social rights.
12punto
In Turkey, as the purchasing power of laborers declines day by day due to the deepening economic crisis and high inflation, workers are being condemned to starvation wages with symbolic raises.
The Press, Publishing, and Printing Workers' Union of Turkey (Basın-İş) made the following statements regarding the matter:
"While the share of total income received by the richest 20 percent in our country is 8 times that of the poorest 20 percent, there is an attempt to prevent the discussion of hunger and misery through artificially created agendas. Workers are also subjected to poor working conditions, mobbing, and the violation of their constitutional rights, with their rights to union organization being usurped.
However, despite all these negative conditions, workers manage to overcome difficulties and act together with a determination to struggle. What is happening at Ekol Ofset, where we are standing in front of today, is an example of this."
CAPITAL-BACKED COMPANY
"Ekol Ofset is an internationally capital-backed company that is 25 percent owned by the Belgian Van de Velde Packaging Group, has been operating in the Silivri region for a long time, and stands on the sweat of its laborers.
Although wages remained above the current minimum wage as a result of the Ekol Ofset workers' insistence on organized struggle, the raises received by the workers melted away due to high inflation and the cost of living in our country, and the workers were once again condemned to living in conditions of misery.
Subjected to pressure and mobbing through both low wages, inadequate occupational health and safety measures, and the constant threat of disciplinary reports, the workers showed their reaction to these injustices by organizing under DİSK Basın-İş.
Upon the workers' organization to protect their rights and receive what they deserve, the bosses tried to put the workers under pressure and intimidate them with the threat of dismissal. Despite this, Ekol Ofset workers did not take a step back from their constitutional rights and continued to organize in our union."
THEY WERE DISMISSED
"About two weeks ago, in the face of this intimidation attempt by the boss, our union's workplace representative İsmail Türe and our members Hatıra Erdoğan and Cihat Baldan were dismissed on the grounds of 'downsizing'.
Although the bosses used excuses such as 'low performance' and 'incompatibility among workers' as reasons for dismissal during their meeting with our union, the sudden dismissal of 3 union members who have worked at Ekol Ofset for years while our organizing activities were ongoing is contrary to the ordinary flow of life. On the other hand, it is clear that these dismissals are a hostile step taken against union organization.
Let's look at the workers who were among the first to be dismissed on the grounds of 'downsizing': İsmail, who has worked at Ekol Ofset for 22 years; Hatıra, an 8-year Ekol Ofset worker who has to take care of multiple disabled people in her family; and Cihat, who learned he was dismissed at the hospital where he went because his child had an accident..."
THEY WERE SENT ON ANNUAL LEAVE
"Following the dismissals, although we expressed in the meeting our union held with Ekol Ofset boss Mustafa Ümit Büyükgönenç, CEO Demir Güleryüz, and Chief Operating Officer Hanife Can that the dismissed workers should be rehired and that union organizing activities, which are a constitutional right, should not be obstructed, the boss did not take a positive step in the face of these demands, and we even learned that many workers were sent on annual leave against their own will after this meeting.
According to information we received from the workers, many workers were taken into rooms by managers and subjected to pressure to resign from the union.
After all these injustices, we want to address the Ekol Ofset bosses from here: Respect the workers' constitutional right to 'organize in a union' and rehire the dismissed workers."
EMPHASIS ON 'DETERMINATION'
"As DİSK Basın-İş, we announce to the entire public that we will continue our struggle with determination until our members, who were dismissed under various pretexts, enter this factory.
We express once again from here that we will be the voice of all workers who are crushed under the economic crisis and starvation wages and are forced to live and work in poor conditions.
We also have a word for all the Ekol Ofset workers who are here and supporting us, or who are with us in their hearts today but could not join this statement due to boss pressure: Workers are invincible when they unite. We will win at the end of this struggle. The Ekol Ofset worker will win!"