The factory of the world-wide known textile company Hugo Boss in the city of İzmir, Turkey, has fired four workers for unionising.
Having fired three union representatives last year for unionising in the Union of Textile, Knitting, Clothing, and Leather Industries Workers of Turkey (TEKSİF), Hugo Boss fired another worker, Gülden Hira, for propagandising for the union in May.
The workers have been protesting the sackings in front of a Hugo Boss store between the hours 3 pm and 5 pm every day.
The press office of TEKSİF issued a statement, emphasising that the three representatives were fired even though the union had notified the Turkish and German administrations of Hugo Boss about the certified representation.
Following the start of the protests, TEKSİF stated, “Joachim Hensch, the Turkey CEO of Hugo Boss, sent an e-mail to our union and confessed that they had fired Gülden Hira because she had propagandised for the union, and that they would fire more union members, threatening the workers’ freedom to organise.”
Deniz Arık Binbay, the independent parliamentary candidate of This Social Order Must Change Platform in the 1st electoral district in İzmir, paid a solidarity visit to the resisting workers in front of the Hugo Boss store. Stating that the workers’ motivation was strong, Binbay said that they are always on their side in their legitimate and righteous struggle.
People from abroad also support the struggle of the workers, sending pictures and messages to them from Hugo Boss stores in various cities around the world.
This is not the first time Hugo Boss has revealed their enmity against workers. In 2011, the administration had fired 250 workers for unionising in TEKSİF, and even those who were Facebook friends with the fired workers. It is also known that the company virtually performs state of siege on the workers, threatening and mobbing them continuously.
