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11 February, 2026Digel Textile workers in Türkiye have now been resisting union-busting practices for 390 days, maintaining a determined struggle for their fundamental trade union rights in the face of continued employer obstruction.
Digel Textile workers in Türkiye have now been resisting union-busting practices for 390 days, maintaining a determined struggle for their fundamental trade union rights in the face of continued employer obstruction.
Digel workers have faced systematic anti-union practices after organizing with Turkish textile union TEKSİF, including dismissals and prolonged legal delays aimed at weakening workers’ resolve. From the beginning, the company has insisted on not recognizing the union.
Importantly, TEKSİF has won a lawsuit at the local court confirming that the union had secured the legally required majority to become the bargaining partner, contrary to the company’s claims. Despite this clear court ruling, Digel management has continued its obstruction by pursuing further legal action.
Throughout the resistance, TEKSİF has carried out sustained initiatives to support the workers and had begun planning a series of international solidarity actions to strengthen pressure on the company.
However, just as these plans were about to be implemented, TEKSİF general president Nazmi Irgat, together with the union’s legal counsel, held a series of meetings with Digel Textile management. During these meetings, management indicated that it would not file an appeal and declared that it was open to social dialogue.
Despite this indication, Digel management reversed its position only one week later, filing an appeal in what the union describes as a deliberate tactic to maliciously delay the legal process and prolong the workers’ suffering.
This development has deepened anger and frustration among Digel workers and TEKSİF members, making it necessary to escalate the struggle to the international level. In response, preparations are now underway for union representatives and resisting Digel workers to travel to Germany, where they plan to organize protests and public actions in front of Digel’s headquarters.
“Our aim is to realize this protest visit as quickly as possible and to significantly increase pressure on Digel management so that the workers’ legitimate demands are met,” the union said.
In this critical phase of the struggle, TEKSİF has underlined that the solidarity, coordination and active support of IndustriALL Global Union are of vital importance. By taking the fight beyond national borders, the union and workers are sending a clear message that union-busting and bad-faith legal manoeuvres will not go unanswered.
IndustriALL assistant general secretary, Kemal Özkan, said:
“Digel’s continued refusal to recognize the union, despite a court ruling confirming TEKSİF’s legal majority, exposes a clear lack of respect for workers’ trade union rights. These deliberate delays are an attack on workers’ right to collective bargaining and they will not go unanswered. IndustriALL stands firmly with Digel workers and TEKSİF and will support the escalation of this struggle internationally."