4 September, 2014During the last years, Turkish trade unions have seen a rapid decline in membership. In a move to turn that around, a workshop for trade union leaders was held at the beginning of September in Istanbul focussing on building power through organizing.
Trade union membership in Turkey has fallen dramatically in recent years. Participants in the two-day workshop identified a connection between declining unionization and an intensification of work, longer working hours and worsening work-life balance. They renewed their commitment to make organizing new members a top priority for their unions.
The workshop included discussions of principles of organizing, getting prepared for and planning organizing campaigns, prior organizing successes and failures, and global campaign strategies and tactics.
IndustriALL affiliate Petrol-IS presented their innovative “Get Unionized” organizing campaign. This campaign focuses on proactive and open communications with workers and the public, and on spreading the message that it is a workers’ right to get unionized.
“Unions in Turkey are under attack from the same neoliberal forces attacking unions around the globe. IndustriALL is working with our Turkish unions to ensure they can respond to these forces and build their power through organizing,” said IndustriALL Assistant General Secretary Kemal Özkan.
The workshop was jointly organized by IndustriALL and sister organisation UNI Global Union for Turkish affiliates of both federations. The two organisations have collaborated extensively on the Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety, an agreement designed to make all garment factories in Bangladesh safe workplaces. They have used their affiliates’ representation at different parts in the supply chain to pressure employers to join the Accord. IndustriALL has also collaborated with UNI on a joint IBM network. The IndustriALL’s Pulp & Paper sector has on going joint work with UNI’s graphical sector.