An international delegation of trade union representatives met in Izmir, Türkiye, on August 1, 2025, to urge TELUS, a Canadian multinational telecommunications and business services company, to enter into a global dialogue about workers’ rights. The group is acting under the banner of UNI Global Union and seeks a global agreement that would guarantee fundamental labor rights for all TELUS employees.
The delegation emphasized that TELUS’s worldwide expansion has relied on the work of thousands in customer service, technical roles, and outsourced operations. They called for this growth to be matched by a commitment to labor rights and social justice.
The unions expressed particular concern over conditions in Türkiye. According to their statement, “Union members and leaders report facing harassment and unfair dismissals simply for exercising their right to join a union. Such practices are unacceptable and contradict international labour standards.” The unions also criticized TELUS’s actions in Canada: “In Canada, TELUS has been downsizing and outsourcing its Canadian operations with scant regard for the impact on workers or working conditions.”
Despite these concerns, the delegation said they believe progress can be made through negotiation. “But we believe these issues can be remedied through constructive engagement. Through dialogue, we can develop binding commitments and ensure the same rights and protections for workers across the company’s operations,” they stated.
The group’s call marks an initial step toward securing binding agreements that would standardize labor protections throughout TELUS’s global workforce.
