Labor Action at Evrim Clothes February 17, 2006 The workers, who have been in a legal battle for more than a year with the owners of Evrim Giyim cloth manufacturing plant over their legal rights, are starting an action against the bosses. The factory has been in operation for more than 14 years, but the […]
Labor Action at Evrim Clothes
February 17, 2006
The workers, who have been in a legal battle for more than a year with the owners of Evrim Giyim cloth manufacturing plant over their legal rights, are starting an action against the bosses.
The factory has been in operation for more than 14 years, but the owner, saying, “I have Tax debt” refuses to pay the regular and overtime wages, or pays a miniscule part of the back pays.
Most of the workers have not been registered and are casual workers, so the employer does not pay their retirement or health insurance premiums. The lunch break at the factory is only 15 minutes or sometimes never allowed, depending on the owner’s preference. Those taking vacations are not paid, but are forced to sign a document that indicates that they have. When the workers use the bathroom, or even wash their hands, they are insulted and humiliated.
When the legal procedure had started, the boss had said, “Look, the amount I owe you is minimal to me Of course I will pay.” Yet his attitude has changed since.
The boss, owing 500 billion to the workers, was forced to deposit only 38 billion to the bank account to be paid to the workers. This amounts up to 2 billion per worker.
There is a risk of all or partial assets of the factory being sold in case the boss lose the court ruling.
The owners are paying their tax debt or their debts to the banks religiously, but try to get away with avoiding to pay the workers wages.
Having put the building where the factory operates to the market, and despite the laws favoring the workers, the owners are disadvantaging the laborers. The bosses also transfer their assets to their relatives and are preparing for bankruptcy.
The workers, who have had enough, have joined forces in the ranks of Tekstil-Sen union and are prepared to start a labor action in front of the factory.
The union, in its statement said, “We are calling on Evrim Clothing bosses who are able to pay their taxes and their debts: “We demand that they immediately pay the back dues to the workers.
The most talked about issue against our actions have been to cancel all actions and to go and file a complaint in a court of law. The procedures at Evrim Cloths have disproved this stance. We are seeing that whenever the workers are not united and do not struggle, even our success is being turned into a benefit for the bosses. Therefore, we believe that the action we will perform in front of this plant will show to us and all the other workers in the region that there are still many things to be done. This action will contribute to the organization and to the consciousness of the workers.”
Workers’ demands
– All social rights and back dues to be paid immediately.
– The assets of the plant, which was transferred to others, should be brought back and the assets of the owners should be immediately confiscated.
– When and if the factory or the machinery is sold, the workers should be the first to be paid.
Source Sendika.org
G.Y.
