23 December, 2011German trade unionists picket GEA headquarters demanding justice for 62 GEA workers in Turkey locked-out since July. It is the 4th action in recent months to demand respect for labour norms by the multinational.
GERMANY: On December 21 workers converged at GEA global headquarters in Düsseldorf. The German company continues to refuse to meet with the Turkish union, Birlesik Metal, which represents the locked-out workers.
Several public figures and unions in Germany and internationally have become involved in the conflict at GEA Turkey, and have contacted the GEA management, for example Michael Sommer, President of the ITUC, the IMF, ITF and ICEM, as well as DISK, the national confederation in Turkey. Recently the executive committee of the German metalworker's union IG Metall called on the GEA management to respect social standards and engage in dialogue with the Turkish union Birlesik-IS.
The action in Düsseldorf is the first time representatives of trade unions in Germany publicly voice their support for the locked-out colleagues in Turkey, and criticise the multinational for its disrespect for fundamental rights and ILO standards.
The call for the rally in Düsseldorf was signed by a long list of elected union representatives in IG Metall, Verdi and IG Bau, amongst others.
Also representatives from the food workers' union NGG and shop stewards from Ford, as well as the federation of Turkish immigrant workers' organizations in Germany DIDF participated at the action at GEA headquarters, and underlined the importance of respect for workers' rights.
On December 16 IMF and EMF joined the picket line at GEA's subsidiary in Turkey to address locked-out workers and show solidarity with their struggle. In November, international union leaders rallied outside of GEA's factory GEA Klima Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş. (ATR) in Gebze, Turkey in connection to a world conference on labour rights in Istanbul. A Labourstart campaign was launched on November 28.
Labourstart campaign in 14 languages here: http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/solidarityforever/show_campaign.cgi?c=1167.
Several public figures and unions in Germany and internationally have become involved in the conflict at GEA Turkey, and have contacted the GEA management, for example Michael Sommer, President of the ITUC, the IMF, ITF and ICEM, as well as DISK, the national confederation in Turkey. Recently the executive committee of the German metalworker's union IG Metall called on the GEA management to respect social standards and engage in dialogue with the Turkish union Birlesik-IS.
The action in Düsseldorf is the first time representatives of trade unions in Germany publicly voice their support for the locked-out colleagues in Turkey, and criticise the multinational for its disrespect for fundamental rights and ILO standards.
The call for the rally in Düsseldorf was signed by a long list of elected union representatives in IG Metall, Verdi and IG Bau, amongst others.
Also representatives from the food workers' union NGG and shop stewards from Ford, as well as the federation of Turkish immigrant workers' organizations in Germany DIDF participated at the action at GEA headquarters, and underlined the importance of respect for workers' rights.
On December 16 IMF and EMF joined the picket line at GEA's subsidiary in Turkey to address locked-out workers and show solidarity with their struggle. In November, international union leaders rallied outside of GEA's factory GEA Klima Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş. (ATR) in Gebze, Turkey in connection to a world conference on labour rights in Istanbul. A Labourstart campaign was launched on November 28.
Labourstart campaign in 14 languages here: http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/solidarityforever/show_campaign.cgi?c=1167.