On 158th day of their resistance, fired UPS workers hosted foreigner unionists who came
to give solidarity messages from abroad. Representatives of ITF (International Transport
Workers’ Federation), ETF (European Transport Workers’ Federation), VIDA (Austria), BTB
(Belgium), FNV (the Netherlands), Ver.di (Germany), and NTF (Norway) stated for one more
time that they support the resistance of UPS workers and they are in solidarity with them.
In the press release held in the picket line in Mahmutbey Transfer Centre, Kenan Öztürk
– President of TÜMTİS thanked their guests for their solidarity and made the first speech.
Emphasizing that the resistance of UPS workers will go on despite all difficulties, “Our
members who were fired by UPS employers due to being union members, carry on resisting
in spite of pressure of employers and the police, of gas bombs, of police tanks. UPS
employers are trying to fight our resistance down and to alienate us by continuing anti-
propagandizing about our union. Even though they claim that our union is applying violence
on workers. But, is not that violence putting workers out in these cold days? Is not that
violence calling workers to police stations and forcing them for testimony? Ups employers are
forcing workers by dismissal threats to make criminal complaint against our union. Yet UPS
employers let violence reach a point that they used guns against our members in Izmir. This
anti-propaganda has been negated by the power of international solidarity. We are determined
to continue our resistance until all fired workers are reinstated and the pressure on union
member workers ends, and we are thankful to you for supporting us and representing your
solidarity with your actions.” said Kenan Öztürk.
After Öztürk, Mac Urata, Secretary of ITF Road Transport Section celebrated UPS workers
because of having courage to maintain their struggle in the heat of summer and in the cold
of winter and called UPS out: “UPS Turkey, reinstate all dismissed workers! UPS Turkey,
stop pressure on union members! UPS Turkey, respect workers’ freedom of union! UPS, stop
shaming yourself!”.
Roberto Parillo, President of ETF Road Transport Section also celebrated workers because of
their resistance. “You have to respect workers’ rights and freedom of union in order to realize
social democracy. We support UPS workers’ struggle for freedom of organizing to the end.”
said Parillo. Christina Tilling, Political Secretary of ETF Road Transport Section, pointed
out the importance of this struggle for international workers’ movement and requested UPS
workers to continue struggling.
Jang de Jong from Bondgenoten union of the Netherlands told the actions that they organized
to represent their solidarity with UPS workers, and stated that they will always be in solidarity
to increase international pressure on UPS. Frank Moreels from Belgium also told that they
had solidarity actions on 1st and 15th of September in accordance with ITF’s international
solidarity call for UPS workers in Turkey, and added: “If ITF or TÜMTİS wants us to have
actions in the future, we will do it again. We are ready to represent our solidarity whenever
you need, till this struggle is won”.
Fredrik Solvang Winger from The Norwegian Transport Workers’ Union emphasized that
the problem of UPS workers is not a national problem but a problem of international working
class, thus they will continue their solidarity, and stated that their decision for helping
resisting workers financially by 7000 dollars monthly. “We all are full of proud thanks to your
resistance, because you have shown us a lot about solidarity.” said Gonca Schrammel from
VIDA. Representatives of Ver.di from Germany sang a song of resistance for UPS workers
and represented their solidarity.
