News

Around 230 members of TUMKA-IS, the All Paper & Cellulose Industry Workers'  Union, have gone on strike on 25 June for better wages and working conditions in the Kimberly Clark plant located in Pendik, Istanbul. TUMKA-IS is affiliated to IndustriALL Global Union and DISK, the Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey.

Members were pushed into striking since negotiations for a plant level collective agreement failed after local  management of Kimberly Clark refused to meet demands of the workers.

Major demands of the striking workers are proper wage increases, particularly for those who earn just slightly higher  than the national minimum, and sufficient notice payment in order to get job security. The latter is important since the company premises will  be re-located to another city within the next couple of years.

All the union members fully participate in the  strike. Some of the strikers have worked at the plant more than twenty  years, and most of the workers complain about bad working conditions,  long working hours, as much as 12 hours a day, making a work-life  balance impossible.

“As Kimberly Clark has not been responsive to our legitimate  demands, strike was the only option“ said Ergün Tavaşanoğlu, General  President of Tümka-İş. “We need the support and solidarity of  IndustriALL Global Union members around the world to overcome the  challenge we have.“

The Turkish subsidiary of the American-based company produces diapers, sanitary napkins, toilet paper, paper towels in the  plant in Pendik with the well-known brands Huggies and Kotex.

P.S. For further information please contact with Kivanc Eliacik: kivanceliacik@disk.org.tr, international@disk.org.tr or tumkais@tumkais.org