July 25, 2006

The workers of Tansaş-A Logistics, a subsidiary of one of the largest holding companies of Turkey, KOÇ, were attacked by the Turkish police for trying to organize and unionize under Nakliyat-İş, the transportation workers union. The union belongs to DISK, the Confederation of the Progressive Labor Unions.

The workers organizing under Nakliyat-İş had held a press conference where they exposed and criticized the bosses of the large corporation for preventing unionization and sacking the already unionized workers. The police attack occurred on their return from the press conference. The attack took place with the police firing tear and other gas bombs at the peaceful workers walking back from the location where the press conference had taken place. It is reported that tens of workers were injured during the cops’ unprovoked attack.

How the events developed

The Tansaş company had belonged to the Greater İzmir Local Government but was sold to a large capitalist holding group, Doğuş. Later the same company was sold to another conglomerate the Koç Group, one of the largest holding corporations in Turkey. Recently, nearly the entire 330 workers of the Tansaş-A Logistics decided to join the Nakliyat-İş trade union for representation.

As soon as the word got out that the workers were joining the union, the bosses immediately fired 35 workers. The fired workers started a resistance and staged a “wait” in front of the gates of the plant.

This illegal practice of firing organizing workers was protested by the union in a press conference. After the press release, the workers started walking back to their workplace to start the afternoon shift. The police blocked the workers from returning back to the plant and started firing gas bombs first then attacking and brutally beating the unionists, including the union’s president. Tens of workers were injured due to the attacks.

The union responded with another press release to expose the cops-bosses cooperation. In the release the union responded, “As always, the Turkish state, which has always been on the side of the fat cats, has shown its real face and has attacked the victimized workers to protect the Koç Group’s interests. We are sharply condemning this behaviour of the police and are calling on unions, mass organizations and the media to be more sensitive to these attacks.”