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UPS drivers in Belgium show solidarity with Turkish flags



The Belgian Unions today equipped all UPS drivers in the European headquarters with Turkish flags to show their solidarity with workers of UPS Turkey fired for being members of the Tümtis union.



The Belgian Unions followed the call from the international Trade Union organisation ITF (International Transport Workers Federation) and supported by UNI Global Union, to support the Turkish Union Tümtis in their fight against UPS for firing Turkish workers because of their union membership, with a solidarity action in front of the UPS European Headquarter in Diegem/Belgium,.



Tümtis started an organising campaign in UPS in Turkey to become a recognised Trade Union in the company and to be able to negotiate collective agreements and social conditions for the workers. After coming to know these activities, the local management started to dismiss workers who had joined the Union – so far 150 colleagues have been fired - and to intimidate constantly the remaining workforce. Cornelia Berger, from UNI Europa Post & Logistics, in June organised a delegation of ABVV/FGTB and UNI europa to visit the picket line in Istanbul.



In the preparation for this action day, the 3 Belgian Unions (ABVV/FGTB, ACV/CSC and ACLVB/CGSLB) successfully presented a petition to support the colleagues in the UPS sites in Turkey signed by the Belgian UPS workers. This morning, 1 September 2010, a joint leaflet was distributed to the UPS drivers in the European headquarters to inform them about the incidents in Turkey and to show their solidarity by putting the Turkish flag in their front window.



“Such a behaviour is like a "declaration of war" to the Trade Unions all over the world. Everybody should have the unlimited right to join a Trade Union and become a workers representative. We won’t accept this, no matter where or in which company and we will fight all over the world with every possible measure”, said Cornelia Berger, UNI Europa Post & Logistics policy officer. “Today actions all over the world were organised by the Trade Unions in UPS and Belgium did a great contribution to this.”



The Belgian Trade Union, with the full support of the UPS workers, announced further actions if the management won’t change their position and give the dismissed colleagues their jobs back!