Workers at DIGEL TEKSTIL demand: Stop union busting!

For more than 300 days, workers at DIGEL TEKSTIL in Izmir (Turkey) have been fighting for their right to organise in a trade union. They produce for the German menswear brand DIGEL, headquartered in Nagold (Black Forest), Germany. Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) calls on DIGEL AG to immediately put an end to the obstruction of trade union activity in its Turkish production facility. Furthermore, the 15 unlawfully dismissed trade union members must be reinstated without delay. For CCC, one thing is clear: freedom of association is a fundamental right.

The trade union TEKSIF, which is responsible for DIGEL TEKSTIL, is taking action against the blatant disregard of the constitutionally protected right to freedom of association in Turkey. As early as 17 January 2025, the women workers of DIGEL TEKSTIL raised their voices together. Their reasons were manifold: low wages, sexual harassment, discrimination, insults and bullying of women workers, as well as hygiene and occupational safety problems.

Rumeysa Kişi, a worker at DIGEL TEKSTIL, explains: “Every morning we had to start work 45 minutes earlier. This time was not paid. In summer, even in extreme heat, the air conditioning was not turned on. ‘Let them sweat,’ the supervisors simply said when we complained.” Rumeysa Kişi is one of many women workers who report systematic bullying and harassment in the workplace. “We deserve decent working conditions, which is why I decided to stand up for my rights and joined the union. Afterwards I was dismissed, even though freedom of association is a fundamental right! They threw me out like a rubbish bag and didn’t even allow me to collect my personal belongings,” Kişi continues.

By 17 January 2025, the majority of the roughly 400 workers at DIGEL TEKSTIL had organised in the TEKSIF union. This meant that TEKSIF had fulfilled the requirement under Turkish law for official authorisation as the union entitled to represent workers in the factory. The Turkish Ministry of Labour granted this authorisation on 20 January 2025.

“In Turkey, the rule is this: as soon as 50% + 1 of the workers join a trade union, that union is legally authorised to enter the factory and defend workers’ rights. At DIGEL, 60% of the workforce became members of our union. TEKSIF therefore received official recognition from the Ministry of Labour as the authorised union. But management did not respect this right and lodged an objection. This objection was made in bad faith. This was confirmed in court, and DIGEL TEKSTIL was fined,” explains Makum Alagöz, union officer at TEKSIF.

According to TEKSIF, management also intimidated women workers. Supervisors reportedly exerted considerable pressure to force women workers to leave the union. Fifteen women workers were unlawfully dismissed without severance pay. As union members, they had helped lead the organising effort within the factory. For TEKSIF and the CCC, these actions constitute union busting — the deliberate obstruction of trade union organisation in the workplace. An investigation by the Turkish Ministry of Labour further confirmed this suspicion. The final report concluded that the dismissals were unlawful and also criticised the forced resignation of unionised workers who were still employed.

“DIGEL AG publicly claims to place ‘special emphasis on legal requirements, ethical conduct and social responsibility’,” says Felix Nickel, Casework Coordinator at the Clean Clothes Campaign. “The events we are aware of at DIGEL TEKSTIL stand in stark contrast to this claim. In its response to us, DIGEL declared the union’s account to be untrue, yet did not comment on the court ruling or the Ministry of Labour’s findings.” Conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and international human rights norms oblige DIGEL to ensure the protection of human rights in its production chain. “This includes freedom of association. Since DIGEL TEKSTIL is directly part of the DIGEL corporate group, the company leadership can and must put an end to the obstruction of trade union activity. Freedom of association is a human right,” says Felix Nickel of the Clean Clothes Campaign.

The union TEKSIF and the affected workers of DIGEL TEKSTIL have meanwhile announced that they will continue to fight for their right to freedom of association. “For 313 days we have been maintaining our protest in front of the factory gates in Izmir. DIGEL must immediately respect workers’ rights, finally recognise the union, and reinstate the dismissed employees to their former positions,” says Makum Alagöz, union officer at TEKSIF.