Scandinavian transport unionists express their support for the DHL workers in Turkey
29 November 2012 – Transport unionists around the world will be standing by sacked DHL workers in Turkey when they take part in an international day of action on 12 December. The activists will be organising a range of lawful and visible solidarity actions to support more than 22 DHL workers in Turkey who were dismissed after they became involved in an organising drive led by ITF affiliate Türkiye Motorlu Tasit Isçileri Sendikasi (TUMTIS).
TUMTIS, backed by unions worldwide, wants to see Deutsche Post DHL (DP-DHL) reinstate the sacked workers, ensure that no further anti-union victimisation takes place and abide by its commitments as a global employer. DP-DHL must also recognise the union, negotiate a collective agreement and sign a global agreement on workers’ rights at all the company’s operations.
In a message to affiliated unions, ITF organising globally coordinator Ingo Marowsky and ITF inland transport section secretary Mac Urata said: “Winning this campaign is not only critical for DHL workers and their unions in Turkey, but also for workers and their unions around the world; if DHL succeeds it sends a clear message to other multinationals that they too can violate workers’ rights. It will also prove that workers’ rights will always be defended in Turkey, where unions are under frequent attack.”
Earlier this month the ITF road and railway workers’ section conference in Toronto, Canada, passed a resolution condemning DHL’s failure to adhere to global conventions and called on affiliates to step up campaigning to reinstate the dismissed workers. In addition, Scandinavian transport unionists attending a meeting on 24 and 25 November expressed their full support for the campaign.
To download your campaign materials, visit: http://www.itfglobal.org/campaigns/respectatDHLturkey.cfm/groupid/2
For more information, visit: www.respectatDHLturkey.org
