Workers at Turkish plastics factory on strike after union busting attempts

Ferhat Yaşar / Gazete Duvar

Workers at Istanbul's As Plastics factory on Sept. 25 entered the sixth day of their strike after ten employees were fired for unionizing. Gazete Duvar joined the striking workers and listened to their resistance against union-busting attempts by the management. 

The company has attempted union busting in the past. In 2022, the management pressured employees to stop unionizing, but the workers persisted. In February 2023, the company fired 28 workers. The workers responded with a work stoppage, forcing management to reinstate their colleagues. 

However, just before the strike vote, on August 29, the company fired 10 more workers. On Thursday, September 19, the workers launched a strike, demanding the reinstatement of the fired union members, the resumption of collective bargaining, and the restoration of workplace peace.

Savaş Çakmak, a workplace representative who had worked at As Plastik for nine years and was fired on August 29 under code 49, said, "The employer fired ten people who brought the union into the workplace to pressure those still inside. Despite all the pressure, we are here. The machines have completely stopped. People are determined. We are strong and believe in this. At the very least, we know our struggle is legitimate."

Exit code 49 identifies the reason for termination as “the worker insists on not performing the duties that they are assigned to perform even though they are reminded.” The code is marked on the workers’ permanent record and disqualifies them from unemployment benefits.

Speaking about the pre-unionization conditions, Çakmak said, “The working conditions in the plastics sector are tough, and we worked under very harsh conditions. It was a very risky environment health-wise, due to the fumes and smoke. We worked 12-hour shifts, and many of our friends got sick. Overtime wasn’t being compensated fairly, and they forced us to eat inedible food.” 

Accordingly, all of this led to a “sense of rebellion” at the factory. Çakmak continued, “Despite trying to maintain dialogue with the boss to preserve workplace peace, there was no progress. With inflation making things worse, our difficulties became a cry for help. People couldn’t make ends meet, and the conditions needed to be improved. Our only option was the union, and we clung tightly to it. The union didn’t leave us behind.”

Addressing the workers’ demands, Çakmak said, “Before our colleagues were fired, we wanted the employer to sit down at the table. Now, with ten of our friends fired, our priority is to get them reinstated. After that, we will return to the bargaining table. Once these conditions are met, we will return to work and maintain workplace peace.”

The workers and management had agreed upon a 35 percent raise along with clothing and fuel assistance, but at the last moment, the company said that they did not want the union. “We refused to accept that. We won’t give up on the union,” Çakmak added. 

Another worker Ebubekir Taşkın added, “In May, we started collective bargaining, and all the legal clauses were passed. But when we got to the financial clauses, the boss started saying that they did not have the money for raises.”

However, the same boss offered some workers 50 and others 100 percent raises to break the union. “How can someone without money offer 100%? Clearly, he has money. He just doesn’t want the union. We’re unionized, and we won’t change our minds,” he stated.

Kenan İncekaş, who had worked at As Plastik for nine years, said, “On August 29, the boss called me in without any reason and said he just couldn’t like me, that he tried but couldn’t. Then he fired me under code 46 (employee disloyalty, stealing). We know this isn’t true; it’s entirely due to union activities.”

The workers vowed to continue their strike until their fired colleagues were reinstated.

(English version by Ayşenaz Toptaş)