06 Feb Tell Cargill: Reinstate the Cargill 14 NOW!
On April 17, 2018 at Cargill-Turkey in Bursa-Orhangazi, 14 union activists were unfairly dismissed from their jobs on while organizing a union.
This is not the first time Cargill management in Turkey has fired workers for attempting to exercise their rights. In 2015, a court ruled that workers were unfairly dismissed for trying to organize a union at the same plant. Turkey’s legal system, however, offers an escape route: as an alternative to reinstating workers who are sacked for forming or joining a union, companies can pay a violation. Cargill opted to pay for its human rights violations rather than reinstate the victimized workers.
The BCTGM as a member of the IUF, joins with the entire international labor movement in calling on Cargill to reinstate the 14 workers with full back pay. We are also urging the company to ensure that all workers at Cargill Turkey can freely exercise their right to join a union going forward.
Cargill has been repeatedly informed of these blatant rights violations by the IUF, however, has failed to take any action to remedy the abuses.
ACT NOW! Send a letter calling on Cargill to reinstate the 14 dismissed workers and allow all workers at the Bursa-Orhangazi plant to freely exercise their right to join a union.
For more than 200 days, the 14 workers have continued their militant protest. They’ve taken their fight for freedom of association to the streets, social media, newspapers across Turkey, and beyond. Throughout this time, IUF affiliates with Cargill membershipsโ including the BCTGM โhave contacted the company expressing their support for the Cargill 14 and requesting that these workers be reinstated.
The BCTGM is fully committed to supporting global solidarity efforts that advance human rights. The BCTGM together with the IUF and other affiliated unions will continue to take action until a positive resolution is achieved at Cargill-Turkey.