In Turkey, problems with Metro continue, organising campaign will be launched

In Turkey, problems with Metro continue:
UNI Commerce and Ver.di will launch organising campaign with Tez-Koop-Is

Workers' rights violations continue to be a major problem in Metro Cash & Carry in Turkey. An obstinate country manager has refused to implement the written agreement on trade union rights, which was concluded between Metro AG and UNI Commerce two years ago. A systematic union busting campaign has caused organising rates to drop under the 51 per cent level, which forces an enterprise to recognise a trade union.

Sadik Özben, the president of Turkey's Tez-Koop-Is, is deeply concerned about the pressure that is being put on Metro Cash & Carry workers to leave his union. He would like to establish a normal social dialogue with management, but gets no response from an anti-union country manager.
Union busting can help cut labour costs in the short run, he says, but in the longer term Metro will lose as morals and productivity suffer.

At a meeting between UNI Commerce and Turkish affiliate Tez-Koop-Is in Istanbul last week, the situation in the company was discussed. It was agreed that the evidence on violations of the UNI Commerce - Metro agreement once again be presented to the group's management, who have signalled that they are prepared to review it.

UNI Commerce and Tez-Koop-Is have agreed with German affiliate Ver.di that an organising campaign in Metro Turkey be discussed in June, at a meeting in Istanbul. This would focus on the Cash & Carry wholesale markets, the Real hypermarkets and the Praktiker do-it-yourself markets. The Metro AG management has been informed by UNI Commerce that a campaign is being planned. Together with its partners, UNI Commerce will closely monitor that violations of workers' rights will not take place while the campaign is being prepared, or after it has been launched.

Not only the cash and carry markets will be targeted in the UNI Commerce - Ver.di - Tez-Koop-Is organising campaign in Metro Turkey. Also the workers at the Real hypermarkets and Praktiker do-it-yourself markets will be unionised. This is the Praktiker market in Istanbul.

Also Carrefour will be targeted by Tez-Koop-Is in a joint organising campaign. This will be based on a global agreement between the French retail multinational and UNI Commerce, securing workers' rights to organise in all countries where the company is operating.