OECD MNE Guidelines: Turkish Operated Infrastructure in Somalia Under Scrutiny

The Federation of Somali Trade Unions (FESTU)  filed a specific instance with the Turkish National Contact Point (NCP) of the OECD. The Somali union alleges industrial relations and employment impacts (Chapter V of the Guidelines) and a failure by a Turkish multinational enterprise to follow Somali industrial relations laws for collective bargaining and freedom of association.

According to the employment and industrial relations chapter of the OECD Guidelines, multinational enterprises should respect workers’ rights to form unions and collectively bargain.  The union alleges Kozuva has ignored government instructions to bargain with FESTU as the representative of workers for collective bargaining at Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu.

The airport management contract was taken over in 2013 by a consortium involving Kozuva group companies along with Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency (“TIKA”), an agency of the Turkish Prime Minister.

Kozuva Group is a multinational enterprise believed to be involved in ten business activities including trade, investment, tourism, and construction materials.  The airport operations are handled by Favori, LLC, under a concession to operate the air terminal for 20 years. Kozuva is developing Çukurova Regional Airport for regional airline service in 2022.

Somalia is a country of great significance for the region. The OECD opened a new regional Centre focused on global relations in Istanbul in January 2021. An objective for the Centre is to improve cooperation among countries in the Middle East and North African region, offering policy assistance and guidance to “build more inclusive and prosperous societies.”

The TUAC urges the Turkish NCP to ensure the swiftest and most effective resolution of the issues raised by the union.