WE CALL ON YEMEKSEPETİ (DELIVERYHERO) TO RECOGNIZE THE RIGHT TO UNIONIZE

Below, we share the press statement made by our union TÜMTİS in front of the headquarter of Yemeksepeti company on February 1, 2022.

WE CALL ON YEMEKSEPETİ (DELIVERYHERO) TO RECOGNIZE THE RIGHT TO UNIONIZE, TO RAISE THE WAGES TO A HUMANELY LEVEL AND TO END TO PRESSURE THEİR WORKERS TO WORK UNDER THE CONDITIONS OF GIG ECONOMY

Turkey’s first and largest online food ordering website, Yemeksepeti (which belongs to the German company Delivery Hero since 2015) does not recognize the right of employees to unionize, and continues to employ them at low wages and in precarious, flexible conditions called the Gig Economy Model.

Trying to prevent the right to unionize, which is the constitutional right of the employees in Turkey, by various tricks, by changing the sector and line of business (nace codes) and by objecting to the collective bargaining authority obtained from the Ministry of Labor by our union, Yemeksepeti is increasing its pressure on our union member workers, while at the same time applying pressure to give up their labor rights and switch to work under the Gig Economy Model.

Regarding this situation, our union held mass press statements in Izmir and Ankara; and in Istanbul in front of the company’s headquarters.

The press release was made with the participation of our General Organization Secretary Muharrem Yıldırım, our Istanbul No. 1 Branch President Ersin Türkmen and Istanbul branch managers, our Gebze Branch President Ali Rıza Atik, our members from the cargo, transportation and warehouse workplaces that we have already organized, and courier and warehouse workers working in Yemeksepeti.

The press release was supported by Kristal-İş Deputy Chairman Faruk Aslan, and representatives of many labor organizations and professional associations, including member unions of the Istanbul Workers’ Unions Branches Platform, and representatives of political parties.

TURKMEN: CURRENT WAGE INCREASES THAT RECOMMENDED BY THE COMPANY CANNOT BE ACCEPTED

Making a statement to the press, Ersin Türkmen, our Head of Branch No. 1 in Istanbul, stated that the Yemeksepeti, which was established in 2001, has grown gradually, that even though it doubled its profits especially during the pandemic period, it gave low wages to its employees and did not recognize the right to unionize; Türkmen said that it was uninsured, insecure and flexible to work under the Gig Economy Model.

Stating that the employer announced the wage increase rates late at night after the reactions, Türkmen stated that the new wage raise which announced late at night was even behind the formal inflation rate and the minimum wage increase rate announced by TUIK, and that it was almost as if the workers were being mocked.

Turkmen said that “We do not accept these wage increase rates, which are even below the inflation rates announced by the employer. We declare that we will continue the struggle until our wage increase demands are accepted” and continued his speech with the following words:

“Today, this increase is not acceptable because it has been made under conditions where the minimum wage is not enough to meet even the basic needs and the inflation is based on 36 percent according to wrong TUIK data.

Purchasing capacity declined due to the price increases in basic consumption items, especially food items. Workers have become unable to pay their house rent, electricity, water and natural gas bills. For this reason, Yemeksepeti workers will never accept misery wages. A wage increase should be made at the real inflation rate, not the fake inflation rate announced by TUIK. The lowest wage should be enough to live humanely.”

UNION IS A CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT, IT CANNOT BE RESTRAINED

Expressing that Yemeksepeti, which imposes low wages on its employees, does not tolerate union rights, Türkmen said:

“Our union, organized in Yemeksepeti, provided the majority sought by the law. The employer of Yemeksepeti, on the other hand, objected to the CBA authority of our union by taking advantage of the legal loopholes. Not satisfied with this, he changed the nace codes (line of business) of the workplaces with various fraudulent methods and showed the workplaces that are actually in the transportation sector, in the trade-office sector.

The employer of Yemeksepeti, which tries to prevent unionization with mobbing practices against union member workers, exiles, attacks such as dismissal, and pressures to resign, on the other hand, puts pressure on its workers to give up their labor rights and switch to working under Gig Economy Model”

STOP FORCING WORKERS TO WORK UNDER THE GIG ECONOMY

Türkmen stated that the model called Gig Economy today is the very model of uninsured, union-free and insecure employment, and that there are no rights given to labor in the Gig Economy model, which is being tried to be attractive by the bosses with fancy slogans such as “Buy Your Vehicle and Come”, “Become Your Own Boss”, and continued his speech as follows:

“The employer, who escaped responsibility by establishing a proprietorship for the workers, make the workers pay the Social Security Institution (SGK) costs, vehicle fuel and maintenance costs with this method.

In this system, there is no severance pay, notice pay and the right to retire by working. The worker and his or her children do not have health insurance. There is no annual leave entitlement. There is no right of holiday or weekend. No matter how many hours the worker works, he or she is not entitled to overtime. So in this model, there is brutal exploitation of labor. In this system, the worker does not have the right to bargain collectively. Therefore, there is no union right. When the worker pays the insuranceKur debt, fuel money, repair and maintenance costs of his vehicle with the money he or she receives, he or she left with an income at the minimum wage level. In fact, if the worker gets sick or has an accident, he or she will not even have a minimum wage.

Flexible and insecure working models are increasing day by day due to excessive profit search, insufficient inspections, competition in transportation sector and unemployment that is increasing day by day. Employers want to make workers non-unionized while adding more profit to their profits in this exploitation system they call Gig Economy Model.

As a matter of fact, the underlying reason for the strikes of Trendyol, Hepsi Ekspres and Scotty workers is the consequences of this model.”

WE WILL NOT HESITATE TO USE OUR LEGAL AND DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS

Stating that there will be a struggle against flexible, insecure and non-unionized work in our line of business, our Istanbul Branch No. 1 President Ersin Turkmen continued his speech as follows:

“No one should think that there is no one to struggle. Our union, which draws its strength from its class, will continue its struggle until the Yemeksepeti workers gain their union rights.

We warn the Yemeksepeti employer once again;

– Withdraw your objection to the Ministry’s determination that our union has the majority at Yemeksepeti and has the authority to sign a CBA;

– Recognize the constitutional right of workers to unionize;

-End the impositions of low wages and Gig Economy Model immediately.

Otherwise, including the social power that we got from production, we will not hesitate to use all our legitimate, legal and democratic rights to the fullest.”

Turkmen concluded his speech by thanking those who supported the struggle of workers.

WORKERS ALSO SPOKE AT THE RALLY

After the press release, Yemeksepeti workers spoke about the difficulty of working conditions and stated that the 32.7 percent increase announced by the company was not even enough to make a living at the minimum level. Yemeksepeti workers stressed that they will maintain their unity until they receive the reward of their labor and gain their union and collective agreement rights.

Our General Organization Secretary Muharrem Yıldırım said that the struggle will continue until the Yemeksepeti workers gain their union rights.