ELİF ÇETİNER

Istanbul- Özak Textile, a textile factory established in Urfa by Özak Holding, employs 700 workers. After the Özak garment worker were fired for being members of the BIRTEK-SEN (United Textile Weaving and Leather Workers Union), they started a strike in front of the factory on November 27, 2023; however, they were subjected to violence by the gendarmerie and the supporters of the and detained but they kept resisting.

Then, they went to Istanbul to resist in front of the Özak Holding. Setting up a tent in front of the holding, the workers have held protests in front of the stores belonging to the holding to make their voices heard.

 ‘He threatened me’

Seher Gülen and Yıldız Bağcı, who were among the first workers to be fired, spoke to NuJINHA.

Seher Gülen was a member of the Öz İplik-İş union, affiliated to the pro-government confederation, but she cancelled her membership due to the silence of the union against the boss’ intense pressure and harassment. Then, she became a member of the BIRTEK-SEN. She was threatened to be fired by the boss for attending a meeting of the union.

“We had the meeting on Sunday. On Monday, the employer called me into the office. He asked me, 'Seher, what did you do at the weekend?’ I told him, ‘I took a walk on my day off.’ Then, he mentioned the place where we had the meeting. In fact, he invaded my privacy. He threatened to fire me.”

‘We decided not to take a step back’

    

After having that conversation, the mobbing and pressure against her intensified. “Several days later, we heard that some workers had been fired. Actually, we expected that. At a meeting of the union, we decided not to take a step back until we get back our rights.”

“We worked even on Saturday. On Monday, he called me into the office again and told me that I was fired. I was asked to write my resignation letter. I was threatened when I refused to write my resignation letter. But I did not write any resignation letter and went out. When I went out, I saw that all my belongings and my bag had been thrown out.”

‘We were even kicked out of the mosque’

After Seher Gülen was fired, all workers started a strike protesting the fire of their colleague. “The gendarmerie, district governor and even the labor court were against us. We could not even report violence against us to the gendarmerie. We were even kicked out of the mosque, but we were determined to resist.

“We have learned many things during this period. The most important thing is that we have learned that we do not have a state. All workers should unite. Our votes will change everything. No one should be afraid of struggle.”

‘They were threatened’

    

Yıldız Bağcı was fired after working at the factory for four years for joining the strike. “When one of our female colleagues had a coffee with their friends, their photos were taken and they were threatened to share their private photos with their family. One of our female colleagues was harassed by the foreman, she filed a complaint; however, nothing was done.”

‘I am proud of myself’

Although Yıldız Bağcı was often told, “No one can fight the boss” by her family members and other people, she never gives up resisting. “My family supports me. We keep struggling. We will never take a step back until we all take our rights back.”