Turkey is one of the low-cost textile production countries in European fast-fashion discounters. In order to produce shoes, jeans and T-shirts as cheaply as possible for the European market, unionization of workers is prevented as much as possible, and the workers are fobbed off with the lowest wages. According to statistics from the trade union umbrella organization Türk-Iş, the hunger limit for a family of four was 17,725 liras (505 euros) in April this year. The minimum wage, which more than half of the workers in Turkey and North Kurdistan have to make do with, is only the equivalent of 484 euros. The new demands of the textile associations in Turkey now show that profit maximization does not stop below the hunger limit.

Sinan Öncel, President of the Association of United Brands (BMD), Berke Içten, President of the Association of Turkish Shoe Manufacturers (TASD), and Ramazan Kaya, President of the Association of Turkish Garment Manufacturers (TGSD), announced their expectations from the government at a recent trilateral meeting. These include a further weakening of the minimum wage by introducing regional flexibility, while at the same time subsidizing the minimum wages by taxpayers and reducing social security spending on the part of the capitalists. Large companies in Turkey already enjoy massive tax benefits.

In this ANF interview, a textile worker from Denizli, "Ayşe" (not her real name, for security reasons), spoke about the situation of textile workers and their demands.

"The debts are wiped away with the stroke of a pen"

Asked about her opinion on the demands of textile entrepreneurs, Ayşe criticized the fact that the companies are already subsidized so massively, bringing in millions in profits in dollars and yet demanding further support from tax revenue. She warned that a regional flexibilization of the minimum wage is aimed in particular at creating cheap labor in the Kurdish provinces and added: "While there are many subsidies that the capitalists already receive, such as the state taking over the workers' insurance premiums, the cancelation of their tax debts with the stroke of a pen, there is now also the demand of the capital groups for a regional minimum wage. As if it were not enough that they have earned millions of dollars, the regional minimum wage means that if they get the appropriate incentives, they will create jobs, but the wages must be low so that they can invest in these regions. This refers to areas where industry is not developed, such as the eastern and south-eastern regions. While the current minimum wage is 17,000 TL, our wages are melting away in the face of inflation and our livelihood problems are therefore becoming more and more serious. It is not enough to simply set a minimum wage. The living conditions in each region may be different, but when we go to the supermarket, we pay the same price everywhere in the country. Unfortunately, this is not a factor that directly changes our purchasing power. While millions of dollars are being destroyed by the government with a single stroke of the pen, there is a capitalist class and its spokesperson government that makes our lives real hell with 1,000 TL in the account."

"We work without seeing the light of day"

Ayşe described that the minimum wage does not even cover the bare necessities and that regional flexibility of the minimum wage would mean a further worsening of the workers' situation. She said: "I am a textile worker, I have been working for years and I don't know what I will be able to eat tomorrow. We also get nothing from the wages for the overtime we do every day. We work almost without seeing the light of day. This system cannot continue like this. The bosses’ goal is not to increase the minimum wage in the metropolises, but to lower it in the provinces where industry is not developed. Yes, rents are higher in cities like Istanbul. But the minimum wage is the lowest possible wage. The minimum wage should be high enough to allow people to live a decent life. In big cities, workers’ wages should be higher in line with their living conditions. No matter how the bosses promote the regional minimum wage, workers and unions must fight against it."

"There is not a single textile factory with a union and a collective agreement"

As for organizing around a trade union, Ayşe said: "The situation of the workers in Denizli is not much different from that in Uşak and Afyon. There is not a single textile factory with a union and a collective agreement. In Denizli, the workers of Filidea Tekstil, which belongs to Abalıoğlu Holding, were fired for joining a trade union. The legal battle between the two fired workers and their resistance at the gate is ongoing and has now entered its third month. The wages are the minimum wage of two thousand, three thousand liras more. Machinists, weavers and dyers can only reach 30,000 liras with overtime. The president of the Chamber of Industry also owns a textile factory and last month it was reported in Evrensel that he does not pay corporate tax. The bosses cannot get enough of subsidies and tax amnesties. When workers demand their rights, they say that sales have decreased.

Er-Bakir generated 28 billion liras in sales last year. Is this a situation on the verge of bankruptcy? In Denizli, a married couple works in the textile industry and works overtime to pay the rent and send their children to education. Rents start at 10,000 liras and go up to 20,000 liras. A one-room apartment costs 10,000 liras. If the family wants to live in a two-room apartment, it costs 15,000 liras. In other words, two people must work so that one of them can pay the rent and the other can go shopping. The bosses do not care about this deplorable situation. The workers must demand their rights. They face dismissal at the slightest protest. We must be patient, brave and cautious. The bosses are acting according to a well-thought-out plan, and we workers need to organize and fight in a planned manner."

"Trust in unions is declining"

Ayşe summed up the general demands of the workers, her view of the union struggle and the situation of the unions as follows: "We want a living wage that is not eaten up by inflation, and reasonable working hours that allow us to have our social lives and spend time with our children and our families. We want union rights and freedoms. If we do not unite against the company bosses, we will be condemned to this life. In Denizli, where the textile industry is strong, and the bosses are constantly breaking new profit records, there is not a single unionized company. There are large and small resistance actions, but that is not enough. Layoffs have increased. Even the smallest union demand can lead to dismissal. In such an environment of fear, unionizing the workers is the last thing they want...

In addition, the rallies organized by Hak-Iş and Türk-Iş are quite peculiar. They did not even bother to invite the workers. The workers, of course, see this. Türk-Iş decided to organize demonstrations in every province. In Denizli, 20-30 people participated, supported by other organizations. If you do not call the workers, go to the workers. Become active in the factories. But the goal is not to raise the workers’ voices, but to suppress them. For the union bureaucracy, it is enough to keep the union's income at a certain level of contribution in order to keep their seat. That is why distrust of the unions is growing. Nevertheless, it is necessary to organize within the unions and change this understanding of unions. So will it always be like this? No, it will change if we organize and unite around our demands. Otherwise, we will spend our lives waiting for others to set the minimum wage and decide our lives."