1000 days of fighting for trade union rights at Cargill Turkey

Toronto – January 11, 2021 – This day marks a grim hallmark in the effort to secure trade union rights for 14 workers at Cargill’s Bursa-Orhangazi starch and sugar factory who were dismissed after joining Turkey’s food workers union, Tekgida-İş, an affiliate of the IUF.

Despite 1000 days of demonstrations and marches to reinstate these workers, Cargill has opted to pay its way out of human rights violations instead of rightfully giving these workers their jobs back.

While the international standard for anti-union dismissal is reinstatement, Turkey’s legal system offers an escape route and Cargill has been happy to oblige. The Minnesota-based company has hired new permanent workers in departments where the dismissed workers had previously been employed choosing not to remedy this rights violation.

In marking the 1,000 days of struggle the workers, Tekgida-İş, and their supporters are planning to take their protest to the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture & Forestry in Ankara calling for support in the reinstatement of these workers and respect for trade union rights at Cargill Turkey.

To learn more about the struggle at Cargill Turkey, click here.