TÜGİS / TURKISH FOOD&BEVERAGE INDUSTRY EMPLOYERS ASSOCIATION

Turkish Food & Beverage Industry Association, in shortly, TÜGİS founded in 1961 (24 January) in accordance with the Turkish constitution article 51 has a long historical background. TÜGİS is also a member of TİSK/Turkish Employers Confederation.

TÜGİS embraces whole Food and Beverage sector across Turkey. Major food companies at national and international arena are the members of TÜGİS. TÜGİS addresses whole problems relating to food sector and try to make best endeavors in solving those problems.

Primarily TÜGİS engages in the industrial relations, social policy matters, social security, trade union relations, collective bargaining and related subjects. In this regard, TÜGİS work together with the Ministry of Labour & Social Security.

Secondly, TÜGİS is also concerned with various aspects of food sector such as the investments related to food & beverage sector production, marketing, export-import, quality control, food safety, food security and protection-control. In this regard, TÜGİS has close relations and cooperation with the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock. In order to reach its targets TÜGİS has carried out many activities, such as conferences, panels, symposiums, workshops, training programmes and various meetings at national and international level.

For example, every year, on October 16 TÜGİS organizes World Food Day in cooperation with Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

As it is known that Turkish Republic is a candidate for the European Union (EU) full membership of Turkey is hopefully estimated by 2015.

In addition, TÜGİS has carried out projects together with the partners within the framework of European Union Funds. For example, TÜGİS has successfully completed EU projects, namely, Social Dialog and Vocational Training so far.

In this respect, as TÜGİS we are working on and spending big effort for harmonizing and adapting European Union standards and principles to the Turkish laws and regulations, particularly both in terms of industrial relations and Food & Beverage sector. Within the framework of above mentioned facts, TÜGİS is an important organization whose opinions, considerations and proposals are being taking into account by the Parliament / Government and National / International NGOs.