This year’s meeting of the COATS Global Union Network, which was established in 2019 within IndustriALL Global Union, was hosted by our union on 24 November in Mudanya. COATS Global Union Network is a structure created to strengthen the global cooperation of unions organised in COATS factories in different countries within IndustriALL Global Union.
On behalf of the Global Union, Christina Hajagos-Clausen, Director of the Textile, Ready-to-Wear, Leather Business Line, Raisul Islam Khan, Project Coordinator, Göknur Mars from the Southeast Asia Regional Office, Janire Escubi, Global Union Events and Office Assistant, attended the meeting. Bursa Branch President İncigül Şentürk, branch secretary Saffet Ünal, COATS workplace representatives Kenan Peker and Nilgün Metin, International Relations Specialist Haluk Deniz Medet and Project Assistant Eylem Uca representing the HQ. COATS Workplace Union representatives from Tunisia, Indonesia, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan also physically participated and visited our country.
The parties introduced themselves at the meeting and then started the meeting by following the agenda.
Christina Hajagos-Clausen, the Global Union’s director, explained the work they have been doing with the COATS headquarters and what was discussed at the last meeting, and then explained to the delegation the structure of the Global Framework Agreement that the Global Union wants to sign, giving examples from the agreements previously signed with other global brands.
After Christina, the floor was given to the participants to discuss the draft Global Framework Agreement. The participants conveyed to the delegates the shortcomings they saw and the issues they wanted to be added.
After lunch, IndustriALL Project Coordinator Mohd Raisul Islam Khan made a presentation of COATS company’s financial, production and employment data. He talked about the last year of the company.
After the presentation, all representatives talked about the situation in their own countries and workplaces. There was mutual exchange of information and experience.
On Monday 25 November, the delegation visited COATS Türkiye workplace which we (DİSK-TEKSTİL) have active CBA with in Bursa. Human Resources Specialist Selva Kaboğlu made a presentation to the delegation about the company’s functioning, social activities, employer-employee relations, management structure and statistics.
After the presentation, the delegation had a tour around the workplace and its facilities. Afterwards, the delegation had lunch together in the workplace cafeteria and returned to the meeting room to continue the meeting.
On 25 November, on the occasion of the Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, our representative Nilgün Metin read the #No Excuses text prepared by the Global Union.
After a group photo was taken, the Global Network meeting ended and the delegates left for their homes.
