General Secretary Ambet Yuson and Global Director for Campaigns Paola Cammilli of the Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI) met with leaders of the global union’s affiliates YOL-İŞ, ÇİMSE-İŞ, AĞAÇ-İŞ, ORMAN-İŞ and TARIM ORMAN-İŞ during their recent mission to Türkiye.

The BWI delegation heard the unions’ growing challenges to workers’ rights, trade union freedoms and democratic space, as well as increasing obstacles to organising. The unionists called for stronger international solidarity and greater attention from the global trade union movement to developments affecting workers in Türkiye.

The delegation was also informed about how more than a decade of high inflation has severely eroded workers’ purchasing power and social welfare. YOL-İŞ highlighted recent plans to privatise highways and bridges, warning of potential impacts on public workers’ rights and increased costs for citizens.

BWI reaffirmed its solidarity with its Turkish affiliates and its commitment to supporting workers’ struggles for trade union rights, decent work, public services and democracy. Yuson expressed BWI’s full support for YOL-İŞ’s upcoming actions and campaign against the privatisation of highways and bridges.