IMPROVEMENT OF THE RIGHTS OF TEXTILE, APPAREL AND LEATHER WORKERS IN TURKEY (INCLUDING SYRIAN Immigrants)
Problems of Refugee Workers
- Payment of salaries
- Underpayment for equal work
- Registration problems before the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management
- Very limited access to work permits, formal employment and insurance coverage
- Poor Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) standards
- Lack of access to technical, vocational education and training
- long working hours
- Physical Abuse and sexual harassment • Discrimination
- Lack of promotion of equal opportunity for women
Key Project Activities
- Providing Legal Aid Service to Syrian Textile and Apparel workers (direct legal aid will be provided by two lawyers once or twice a week in Istanbul and Gaziantep)
- Development of online legal aid tool
- Establishing regular social dialogue between employers’ associations and trade unions in the Textile and Apparel sector
- Screening workshop and roundtables on the integration of Syrian refugee workers to create a long-lasting social dialogue among stakeholders
- Social Compliance (SC) Program Design for Small-Scale Subcontracting SMEs
Issues With Employers
- The main problem is with SMEs acting as subcontractors.
- Manufacturers abuse workers to keep up with orders of a certain size
Solution
- Developing social dialogue with employers’ associations, developing joint policy recommendations addressing the human rights situation
- Screening workshop and roundtables on the integration of Syrian migrant workers
- Advanced training on international occupational health and safety standards
- Social compliance (SC) program for small subcontracted SMEs
Project partners
Lead applicant: 3F Fælles Fagligt Forbund (United Danish Workers’ Federation)
Partner: DİSK (Confederation of Revolutionary Trade Unions)
Partner: Textile (Textile Workers Union)