Unions reach out to local Ikea workers

ISTANBUL

Ikea workers and trade union leaders from around the world are to hold a three-day event in Istanbul starting today to launch the Uni Ikea Global Union Alliance to ensure proper working conditions for all global Ikea workers. The group is lending special support to Ikea workers in Turkey, who want to unionize, a press release from the group read yesterday.

“Ikea workers are joining Koop-İş trade Union in Turkey despite opposition from management,” it said. “This meeting has been organized in Istanbul to support the Koop-İş Trade Union in its struggle to earn collective bargaining rights at Ikea Turkey,” Deniz Akdoğan, advisor to the president of the Koop-İş trade union, told the Daily News in a phone interview yesterday.

The Turkish franchisee of Ikea is Mapa, a subsidiary of local Maya Holding
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“Koop-İş is actively trying to unionize Ikea workers in Turkey. The union wants to sign a collective bargaining contract with the [employer]. But the employer is causing trouble,” Akdoğan said.

Akdoğan admitted that the Koop-İş does not have enough unionized workers at Ikea to be recognized according to Turkish legislation.

However, Akdoğan claimed that the local Ikea franchisee pressures employees not to unionize.

Mapa failed to respond to questions before the Daily News went to print yesterday evening.