27 January, 2021Turkish union Birleşik Metal İş has filed a complaint with the OECD over labour relations concerns against Swedish multinational Systemair, after attempts to peacefully resolve a conflict have failed.
After organizing more than 50 per cent of the workers at Systemair’s Turkish manufacturing subsidiary Systemair HSK, the Turkish Ministry of Labour certified IndustriALL affiliate Birleşik Metal-İş as a bargaining agent in October last year.
But instead of engaging with the union, local management appealed the decision from MoL, a common union busting tactic by Turkish employers. In direct connection with the appeal, local management used Covid-19 measures as an excuse to force union members to go on unpaid leave. Currently 21 union members are on unpaid leave.