We stand in solidarity with the SF Trade workers who were sacked for their membership of Deriteks and are now facing a compensation claim for 200,000 TL
SF Trade in Izmir Turkey, which produces luxury goods for international brands, has taken to court four leather workers who they previously unfairly dismissed for union membership.
The women workers have been on protesting at the picket line for 170 days (but had to temporarily suspend the protest due to the Covid-19 pandemic). SF has now sued all four of them individually for financial losses equating to 100,000 TL and non-pecuniary damage in the sum of 100,000 TL for “unfairly paving the way for competition” and “sharing company information”. Each worker faces a compensation claim for a sum of 200,000 TL. The first hearing in the case is being heard on 10 September at 9:30am at the Regional Court.
It is unacceptable for these workers who have already been unfairly dismissed from their jobs to now be sued by the same employer.
Solidarity with the People of Turkey (SPOT) – supported by trade unions such as NEU, Unison and RMT, as well as campaign groups, political parties, MPs, journalists and writers in the UK and Turkey – stands in solidarity with SF Trade workers and will continue to support the struggle of the workers against the SF attacks on workers rights.
We will continue to raise awareness of this injustice in the UK, by sharing the anti-worker practices of SF and exposing how it is using the profits from its exploitation of workers to take the same workers to court.
SF Trade must stop attacking workers exercising their democratic right to organise and must reinstate the four women union members immediately.
