Turkish textile union TEKSİF, an affiliate of global union federation IndustriALL, has accused Digel Textile, a German-owned menswear manufacturer in the İzmir Free Zone, of carrying out years of systematic harassment, discrimination, and union busting.

At a press conference in İzmir on Augus14 t, TEKSİF presented detailed testimonies and evidence which it says expose a deeply entrenched culture of abuse within the factory.

The event was framed by a stark poster listing alleged daily violations, including mobbing, psychological violence, hazing, intimidation, sexual harassment, unlawful dismissal, discrimination, and workplace practices that undermine human and women’s dignity.

The union said these were not abstract terms but reflected the lived experiences of hundreds of workers, particularly women, over several years.

It said that, drawing on dozens of worker accounts, its newly released report claimed the abuses had intensified since the workforce unionised in January 2025.

The union said that on January 17, 2025, after employees had protested against low wages and degrading working conditions, Digel management had dismissed four leading union members without severance on the same day the workers had joined TEKSİF and obtained official recognition from the Ministry of Labour.

It said that further dismissals on February 6 and June 13 had brought the total number of sacked members to 15, and alleged that this was a deliberate campaign to crush the union.

Testimonies in the report describe an oppressive environment where managers instructed women not to become pregnant, demanded ultrasound scans to prove their condition, and made degrading comments about their bodies.

Some women reported being denied restroom breaks during menstruation or publicly shamed for requesting them.

Others described sexual harassment by managers and colleagues, incidents that were allegedly ignored by management, and in some cases, committed by supervisors themselves.

Women who resisted intimidation were said to be subjected to targeted mobbing and verbal abuse.

TEKSİF maintains that these accounts span roughly seven years and point to a persistent pattern of gender-based violence, discrimination, and humiliation.

The union claims that formal complaints have often been met with silence and, in certain instances, the perpetrators have been rewarded instead of disciplined.

Since January, dismissed workers have held a continuous protest outside the factory gates for nearly 210 days.

TEKSİF has described the demonstration as not only a fight for reinstatement but also a broader struggle to secure safe, equal, and harassment-free workplaces in Turkey’s garment sector.

Digel first attracted public attention in January when workers staged a factory protest against poverty wages and degrading conditions.

The union argues that instead of acknowledging workers’ rights to organise, the company escalated harassment and retaliated through dismissals and intimidation.

‘Digel Textile’s behaviour is a shameful violation of workers’ rights and human dignity. We fully support TEKSİF’s fight to end the abuse, reinstate the dismissed workers, and secure a workplace where women and men are treated with respect,’ IndustriALL assistant general secretary Kemal Özkan said.

Digel Textile has yet to issue a public response to the allegations.