Refugee workers in labour movement: Possibilities and limitations of a united struggle in Gaziantep

Capitalism has historically instrumentalised migrant labour to discipline the working class, exacerbating working conditions and fostering competition between migrant and native workers to maximize profits. This competition results in lower wages, longer working hours, and diminished political and organizational capacity for the working class. Despite these challenges, some labour organizations have succeeded in bridging these divisions, fostering solidarity between migrant and native workers. This thesis explores one such example of a united struggle of citizen and Syrian workers in Turkey. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with citizen workers, Syrian workers under TPS, trade unionists, and experts, this research investigates the unionization efforts at the AKBL slipper-shoe factory in Gaziantep, which employs approximately 550 workers. Despite facing rising anti-immigrant sentiment and violence in 2021, Syrian workers played a leading role in the process. Although the unionisation ultimately failed, the united struggle between citizen and Syrian workers reshaped workers' relations, fostering solidarity and changing attitudes. This case shows that while xenophobia is often employed as a tool to undermine efforts, solidarity rooted in labour internationalism can counter such strategies. However, such a struggle has a vulnerable ground and its sustainability depends on factors such as general economic conditions of the country, the political and organisational capacity of the working class, the migration regime in the country, political capacity of far-right politics and the prevalence of anti-immigrant sentiments.