This our second of four posts on internationalism. Our first post, taken from Cuba's Granma, gave a theoretical or ideological map of our Marxist legacy as it applies to the worldwide class struggle. This post and the next post illustrate current struggles which unite workers across borders. The unions mentioned in this post, which is taken from the IndustriALL website, show that even relatively weak and depoliticized unions can locate the necessity of taking action and unioting workers across borders. Unions in the U.S. have much to learn about internationalism and class struggle. As the struggle mentioned here is taking place, Turkey is experiencing mass repression and conditions approaching civil war once more and France is experiencing a militant strike wave and radical student activism. Readers who are interested in radical world trade unionism should study the website of the World Federation of Trade Unions and the international solidarity page of the United Electrical Workers.
16.05.2018
After joining IndustriALL affiliate Petrol-Is, 85 workers at the Turkish subsidiary of French cosmetics company Yves Rocher, Kosan Kozmetik Pazarlama ve Ticaret AS, were dismissed.
Following an intensive recruitment campaign by Petrol-Is Chemical and Rubber Workers’ Union of Turkey, in March, a sufficient number of workers at Yves Rocher’s subsidiary in Turkey, Kosan Kozmetik, exercised their free choice of being of part of a union. Once the proof of the majority was obtained, Petrol-Is leadership attempted to build a constructive social dialogue and approached the company with an offer to discuss collective bargaining. The company rejected the offer and challenged the union certificate issued by the Ministry of Labour in court, using unfounded arguments and loopholes in the national legislation to hinder collective bargaining.
In April, local management dismissed 14 members of Petrol-Is due to their union membership. In addition, management continued to pressure and intimidate workers, undermining their legitimate rights to join a union at the plant. As the workers refused to give up their affiliation with Petrol-Is, management dismissed six more union members on 11 May. On 15 May, Kosan Kozmetik sacked 65 workers over their involvement in trade union work, bringing the total number of dismissed workers to 85.
In a letter to the company, IndustriALL Global Union called on management to respect trade union rights, reinstate the dismissed union members and enter into dialogue with Petrol-İş. Valter Sanches, IndustriALL general secretary said:
“Kosan Kozmetik’s behaviour constitutes a blatant violation of Turkish labour law, as well as fundamental international labour standards, including Convention 87 on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize, and Convention 98 on the Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining of the International Labour Organization (ILO).”
IndustriALL’s French affiliate FCE-CFDT has approached the central company management in Paris to urgently intervene.
Petrol-Is and its members picketed in front of the plant with a large support from other workplaces and society.
“It is completely unacceptable for such well-known global brand not to respect fundamental rights in its subsidiaries,” says Kemal Özkan, IndustriALL assistant general secretary.
“We expect Yves Rocher to open the channels to address the situation in Gebze. Otherwise we will take it to different platforms through extensive campaign.”
Based in Rennes, France, Yves Rocher is a worldwide cosmetics and beauty brand. The company is present in 88 countries and employs 13,500 people, not including more than 215,000 people employed through indirect jobs. Kosan Kozmetik employs 400 workers, and produces the brand Flormar, the number one make-up brand in Turkey with a 21 per cent market share. The plant also exports products to the markets of 104 countries, primarily in developing countries.
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