Nicosia, Cyprus. Trade unions in the north urged Turkish Cypriots to boycott Pepsi and other drinks produced by Ektam as a strike by workers at the company continued on Wednesday. The dispute centres on allegations that Ektam attempted to prevent unionisation and later threatened to dismiss 39 workers.
Strike and dismissal threats
Workers began striking on Friday, claiming Ektam had attempted to deprive them of their right to unionise. Ektam then threatened to fire 39 workers in response.
Ktams announces boycott
Trade union Ktams said on Wednesday morning it “condemns” Ektam “for its decision to dismiss workers … who were fighting for their job security and legal rights”. The union said it would boycott Ektam products until an agreement is reached with the workers.
El-Sen declares solidarity
El-Sen, the north’s electricity workers’ trade union, said it “cannot accept” the threats to dismiss 39 workers and “strongly condemn this decision”. The union said dismissing workers during a time of economic hardship is unethical and affects workers and their families, adding that it would boycott Pepsi and all related products.
Unionisation effort and allegations
The workers had attempted to join a union affiliated with Dev-Is. A Dev-Is spokesperson previously said the company had been “ignoring the laws” relating to organised labour in the north and had “threatened everyone and attempted to force them to sign resignation letters”.
The spokesperson said workers refused, after which management threatened to close the factory and lay off all workers.
Efforts to resolve dispute
Lawyers from PepsiCo based in Turkey travelled to the island to attempt to resolve the dispute. Meetings were held involving the lawyers, representatives of Ektam, representatives of the workers, representatives of the union, and the north’s ‘labour minister’ Oguzhan Hasipoglu.
What impact do you think the boycott calls will have on efforts to reach an agreement?