Oz-Iplik-Is Union, an affiliate of HAK-IS Confederation from the textiles and garment sector, signed on 11 November 2022 in Ankara and put into effect a “Zero Tolerance for Violence” Policy Paper to prevent violence and harassment in the world of work including adaptation of ILO’s Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (No. 190) to its collective labour agreements.

Present at the signing ceremony were Mr. Numan Özcan, Director of the ILO Office for Türkiye; Mr. Rafi Ay, President of Oz-Iplik-Is Union; Ms. Canan Güllü, President of the Federation of Turkish Women Associations (TKDF); Ms. Armelle Seby, Gender Equality Officer of IndustriAll; Ms. Fulya Pınar Özcan, Head of Women’s Committee of Oz-Iplik-Is; Ms. Ebru Özberk, Senior Programme Officer and Ms. Dr. Ayşe Emel Akalın Gender and Social Dialogue Officer of ILO Office for Türkiye; and representatives of brands and suppliers operating in the textiles sector.
Also participating in the ceremonial event were representatives from DISK Textile Workers Union, and DERITEKS Union, an affiliate of TURK-IS Confederation, organized in the textiles and garment sector.

Speaking at the event, Mr. Numan Özcan, Director of the ILO Office for Türkiye, said: “It is highly important that Oz-Iplik-Is Union signed this ‘Zero Tolerance for Violence’ paper at this meeting. And we are happy to support such efforts.”

“Ratification of C190, as a convention that aims to prevent violence and harassment at work, has gained much momentum, and the grass-roots demand for its ratification is huge. Likewise, it is essential to expand the efforts for ratification from bottom to top.”

Mr. Rafi Ay, President of Oz-Iplik-Is Union, expressed that they had been for years undertaking planned work to enhance social responsiveness and awareness for combating violence and harassment at work.

Mr. Ay said: “The ‘Zero Tolerance for Violence Paper’ is not the first instrument we have signed; but we have clearly underlined the importance of and our resolution on the matter.”

At the ceremonial event, Ms. Ebru Özberk, Senior Programme Officer of ILO Office for Türkiye, delivered a presentation on the significance of C190, and Ms. Dr. Ayşe Emel Akalın Gender and Social Dialogue Officer of ILO Office for Türkiye, moderated a roundtable to draw a roadmap for preventing violence and harassment at workplaces in the textiles sector.