Steelworkers accuse Telus of union busting in Turkey

The United Steelworkers Union (USW), which represents Canadian workers at Telus Corp., is alleging that the telecom’s international division is trying to bust a union drive at its content review centre in Turkey. The company disputes the claims. The story was first reported by Niamh McIntyre of The Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ) and published by the British newspaper The Independent. The USW says that Telus Digital (formerly Telus International) fired several organizers after the Çağri-Iş union was certified in the summer of 2024 as the employees’ representative by the Turkish government. Telus Digital appealed the certification, citing changes in the workers’ status. The president of USW local 1944, which represents workers in Canada, sees ulterior motives in the move. “They’ve been throwing up roadblocks and red tape towards these members getting a collective agreement,” Michael Phillips, who was involved in discussions with Telus in Canada on the issue, tells The Wire Report. “They’re not willing to negotiate with these workers and it seems from the rash of firings that they’ve conducted against union leaders among this group, that their intention is just to break the union,” he alleges. In a statement provided to The Wire Report, Telus denied any wrongdoing. It maintains the dismissed workers were fired for cause. All of the centre’s workers were reclassified under Turkish labour law and therefore not entitled to union representation, the company said. “Telus Digital wants to clarify that the company is not challenging the unionization effort; it has exercised its legal right to request further information and judicial review regarding the union’s authorization claim,” it stated in an email to The Wire Report. “These claims are ongoing.” In a letter to Canada’s ambassador to Turkey, USW national director Marty Warren categorized the firings as “spurious” and “dubious”. McIntyre’s investigative article said the Telus Digital workers earned between 19,000 and 35,000 Turkish lira ($712-$1,312) per month. The Turkish minimum wage is 22,000 lira ($824). Telus counters that it pays more than labour law standards. “In January 2025, the government-mandated minimum wage increase was 30 per cent, while the average salary increase done by Telus Digital was 44 per cent–well above legal requirements,” the company statement reads. The TBIJ story stated that Telus Digital employed about 1,000 workers in Turkey to review content for TikTok. They looked at posts written in Turkish, Kurdish, Arabic, and Azerbaijani. McIntyre wrote of the hardships employees allegedly face. “Almost all said they had been affected by their work, which involves removing videos of terrorism, extreme violence, child abuse, genital mutilation, self-harm and animal abuse,” she wrote. “Several reported mental health issues, including depression, stress and sleeping problems.” The company counters that it takes the mental health of its employees into consideration. “Telus Digital has a comprehensive well-being framework, guided by international best practices,” it wrote to The Wire Report. “This program is overseen by licensed psychologists with experience in managing psychological health, safety, and subclinical interventions in employee well-being.” A total of 15 workers have filed suit against Telus Digital in Turkish courts, according to the article, saying their firings were done in retaliation for the union drive. Their lawyer told McIntyre their process will take months to reach a conclusion. If they win, they will be entitled to financial compensation. Warren’s letter to the ambassador was cc’ed to several Canadian politicians including Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly (Ahuntsic-Cartierville, Que.); Employment and Social Development Minister Steven MacKinnon (Gatineau, Que.); and then-International Trade Minister Mary Ng (Markham-Thornhill, Ont.). The opposition critics for those portfolios were also included in the mailing. “This situation not only affects the workers and their families, but also poses potential risks to Canada’s reputation and activities abroad,” Warren wrote. “It is imperative that Telus respects the freedom of association in accordance with International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions 98 and 87, as requested by the workers.” The department of employment told The Wire Report in an email that the dispute is a Turkish matter and the Canadian government has no jurisdiction to intervene. The USW’s Phillips disagrees. “Telus is very dependent on the federal government in Canada with regard to government jurisdiction over telecom. And so the government has a lot of leveraging power,” he asserts. “I think the government needs to get back into the business of trying to ensure Canadian companies act ethically and act in a way that’s in accordance with our country’s own values and these corporations’ stated values.” ppark@thewirereport.ca

Steelworkers accuse Telus of union busting in Turkey

Telecom |
By Paul Park
| March 31, 2025

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Steelworkers accuse Telus of union busting in Turkey

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