News

On 17 March, UNI Deputy General Secretary Philip Bowyer met 70 Tesco Kipa workers from 20 Turkish provinces. The meeting had been arranged by UNI affiliate Tez-Koop-Is Union in Izmir and was chaired by Gürsel Dogru, president and Fikret Omak, organising secretary.



The UNI Tesco Global Union Alliance at its meeting in Liverpool in early March had asked UNI to send a solidarity mission to Turkey to investigate reports about violations of worker and union rights at Tesco Kipa.



A meeting with Tesco Kipa management as requested by UNI could unfortunately not take place this time due to other engagements on the side of the company.



In his discussions with Tesco Kipa workers UNI learned directly from the workers about the problems they are facing in their daily work and when joining the union.

Philip handed over solidarity messages from Alliance members who assured the workers and their union of their full support in the struggle to gain union recognition at Tesco Kipa.



In their statements the unions furthermore demanded:

• Respect for workers at Tesco Kipa!
• Tesco Kipa to recognise Tez-Koop-Is as the union representing Tesco Kipa workers!
• Tesco Kipa to comply with the Tesco principle that where workers want it they can have a union!
• Tesco Kipa to stop human rights and labour rights violations!
• Tesco Kipa to meet with Tez-Koop-Is to enter into a meaningful dialogue!

The meeting was completed by visits to Cıglı, Bornova, Balcova, Gaziemir, Bornova Forum and Kusadası stores.



UNI will now write to Tesco Kipa and ask again for a meeting to discuss the findings of the mission.