Toronto airport workers support Turkish Airlines 305

February 1, 2013

Airline workers from two Toronto airports briefly visited the Canadian Headquarters and Sales Office of Turkish Airlines (THY) in Toronto on 16 January in support of the 305 workers sacked by THY. The visit of workers from Toronto's Lester B. Pearson International Airport (YYZ) and Toronto City Centre Airport (YTZ) resulted in an impromptu meeting with THY's Canadian Director. At this meeting, the Canadian airport workers made it clear that if THY does not re-instate the 305 terminated workers and reach a settlement with their union Hava-Is, they will take further actions, including protests, leafleting and picketing. Kemal Ulker, Hava-Is International Relations and Education Officer, commented:  “We are very grateful for the solidarity shown by these airport workers and hope that this meeting will lead to pressure within Turkish Airlines to press for the immediate reinstatement of the unfairly sacked workers.” Atilay Ayçin, president of Hava-İş, added: “The solidarity action taken by our friends in Canada hasn’t only given us a moral boost but also gave us a leverage in our talks with Turkish Airlines management.” Turkish Airlines dismissed the 305 workers on 2 June 2012 by via email, text messages and phone calls for joining a peaceful protest to protect their right to strike. A video showing the meeting can be seen here.