Turkish meat factory fires unionized workers, leading to protests 

Osman Çaklı / Gazete Duvar 

In the remote Çatalca district of Istanbul, 135 workers who were members of the Tek Gıda İş Union were fired from the Polonez Meat Factory under code 46 (indicating a disgraceful crime). The workers have been protesting for 16 days, demanding reinstatement.

Most workers earned minimum wage or less, with salaries ranging from 13,000 (390 dollars) to 16,000 lira (480 dollars). The majority of the labor force at the factory were women, many of whom encountered a union for the first time and felt empowered by their unity. 

Duvar met with the workers at the factory gate, where they continued their protests. Their exhaustion was visible as they sheltered among hundreds of pallets to avoid the sun. Despite the physical toll, they remained determined, expressing that they had reached a breaking point.

Many workers had never faced the state before and were encountering police violence for the first time. An incident where the Çatalca District Governor scolded them added to their distress.

The workers said they had felt hopeless for years but felt stronger after joining the union, vowing to continue resisting no matter the outcome. They believed their employers mistreated them because they knew the workers struggled to make ends meet.

Despite their fatigue, the workers maintained high morale and motivation. They viewed their struggle as a matter of dignity, stating there was no turning back. The fired workers, who had worked for years below minimum wage, decided to unionize because they could not make ends meet. After learning they were dismissed via a text message, they began protesting in front of the factory.

Tek Gıda İş Union Organizer Yunus Durdu said, "On July 15, we signed up around 80 members within 24 hours at Polonez. We needed 25 more workers to reach a majority. After a night shift meeting, the employer brought in 176 new workers." 

Durdu explained that the employer did not recognize the union and dismissed long-term employees, including shift supervisors and master butchers. He emphasized they had no intention of harming the company.

Durdu noted that some workers were paid below minimum wage, with unlawful tax deductions despite a law prohibiting such deductions from minimum wage. He highlighted the employer's irregularities, "This Jordanian company deducts taxes from workers. We want Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek, who is concerned with the taxation of even servers’ tips, to inspect the company's records."

Sevilay Demir, who had worked at Polonez for nearly 15 years, was fired under code 46. Believing she was dismissed for seeking her rights, she said, "They fired us so the managers, supervisors, and officials could sit comfortably. We are not thieves. The employer does not value its workers."

Semra Sezer, who had worked at the factory for a year, stated that there was no union before, and they could not demand any rights. "We were treated like animals, faced verbal harassment and humiliation, and were forced to work overtime on Sundays. They forced us to sign overtime sheets."

She continued, "They called us animals. Our sick pay wasn't even approved. We didn't receive minimum wage, and they deducted taxes, reducing salaries to 13,000 lira. I know there shouldn't be deductions from the minimum wage. Even though I worked overtime, they deducted money. When I asked, they said the state deducted it."

Sezer mentioned the difficulty of living on 13,000 liras and the psychological strain it caused. "They eat at fancy places with the money they earn here while we suffer. We want to return to work. They bring in Syrian and Afghan workers without considering their rights. They covered the bus windows so we wouldn't see. No one should work here without hygiene training."

Gülhan Çınar, who had worked at Polonez for five years, described her dismissal. "I learned I was fired under code 46, which is a theft charge, while I was on medical leave. We cannot accept this. Working conditions were very tough. I worked 12-hour shifts and never saw a salary of 20,000 lira despite working four Sundays. When we asked for a raise, the manager offered only 300 liras (nine dollars)."

Çınar recounted narrowly avoiding several work accidents and described the dangerous working conditions. "We worked for years at the risk of our safety. The employer got rich off our labor. As a woman, I loaded tons of material into machines daily. I missed my child's school performance and never received overtime pay. I was healthy before starting this job. Since then, I've faced health issues. This is the result of my labor. In the winter, I washed machines in freezing weather early in the morning. My hands were freezing."

(English version by Ayşenaz Toptaş)