WORKERS at a Mitsuba car parts factory in Turkey continued a sit-in for a second day yesterday in protest against union-busting by the Japanese-owned company.

About 120 workers at the plant, located in the Gebze district of the western province of Koaceli, locked themselves in at the end of their shift after nine of their colleagues had been sacked for union organising.

The protesters are demanding the dismissed workers’ reinstatement and a collective union recognition agreement.

Riot police and water cannon have been deployed against the strikers, but they continue to stand firm.

United Metalworkers Union general secretary Ozkan Atar met security officials and warned them not to intervene, otherwise there would be repercussions that “might not happen nicely, as they are expecting.”

The union, which is affiliated to the Disk labour confederation, was authorised to represent workers at the factory.

But bosses appealed against the ruling and a hearing was set for January 22. But instead of waiting for it, they started sacking those they held responsible for organising the strike.

United Metalworkers Union chairman Adnan Serdaroglu said: “No-one is leaving,” insisting that the action would continue until the workers’ demands have been met.