"TO THE PRESIDENT OF ÖZAK TEXTILE GROUP, MR. URFİ AKBALIK, AND THE MANAGEMENT OF ÖZAK TEXTILE", 25 January 2024

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As workers at Özak Textile engaged in production for Levi’s, we have been working under conditions where excessive production pressure, mobbing, mandatory overtime exceeding 18 hours adversely affecting workers’ health, unjustified and uncompensated dismissals, even skilled and senior workers receiving wages at or near the minimum wage level, lack of recognition of the right to choose a union, pressure exerted by the authorized union in collusion with the employer on behalf of the workers, and absence of any democratic representation and dialogue mechanism for workers to convey their complaints and demands regarding the violations of their rights.

As early as the beginning of November 2023... we conveyed numerous complaints in writing to the factory management regarding the pressure, mobbing, attempts to coerce workers into changing unions, and other rights violations that many workers shared with us...We requested meetings to resolve these issues through dialogue. However, not only was our request for a meeting left unanswered, but also our attempts to establish communication went unanswered each time.

...in our effort to force a resolution to the issues through dialogue, we suggested that at least the worker representatives affiliated with our union engage in discussions with the factory management by having our member workers submit their complaints to the factory management in writing. Our fellow workers wanted to present the text, which contained complaints and demands regarding rights violations and was signed by nearly 450 workers...Unfortunately, the factory management responded...with an uncompromising and threatening attitude. Not only were the signed texts not accepted, but also on the same day, our fellow worker Seher Gülel, who had recently joined our union and had been threatened with dismissal for this reason before, was fired.

Since workers began to join our union in early November, the actions of representatives of the Öz İplik-İş union and some factory managers, who individually summoned workers and pressured them to resign from our union and rejoin Öz İplik-İş, have caused serious concern and a strong reaction among workers. When threats of further dismissals following the dismissal of one of our colleagues on November 27 were added to these actions, it triggered a collective response from the workers, and the protest began.

After more than 500 workers stopped working and initiated the protest, as union leaders, we also came to the front of the factory and repeatedly requested a meeting for the resolution of the issues and the restoration of industrial peace in the workplace...

As you are aware, the majority of workers at Özak Textile in Şanlıurfa OSB have joined our union. You would agree that the right of workers to unionize and choose a union is a right guaranteed by the constitution, laws, and international agreements, which is also binding for you.

Attempting to prevent workers from exercising this legal, legitimate, and democratic right through methods such as pressure, mobbing, and threats is not only a crime under Turkish laws and the constitution but also contrary to international agreements such as the ILO conventions...

...there are also contracts encompassing social responsibility duties and principles directly binding on you...These contracts involve international brands such as Levi’s and Zara, which you produce for...

...due to Özak Textile’s uncompromising stance...Levi’s and Zara have reached the final stage of terminating their supply relationship with Özak Textile.

The termination of this order relationship is not a situation preferred by either our union or the workers...However, this production cannot continue by disregarding the most fundamental rights of workers, such as freedom of expression, freedom of association, and the right to choose a union...

The demands of our union and the workers are entirely reasonable and justified:
1- Reinstatement of the workers who were dismissed for being members of our union,
2- Payment of wages for the days of the protest, during which the workers were disadvantaged in every respect,
3- Respect for the workers’ right to choose a union, unionize, and be represented,
4 – Signing a mutual protocol with our union on behalf of the workers to guarantee the above demands.

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