Şişecam Workers Undeterred By Strike Ban
Şişecam workers gathered in front of Kanyon Shopping Mall in Istanbul’s Levent district at noon and started walking to the Şişecam glass and chemical group headquarters at İş Towers.
Workers from the Gebze district and Bursa province branches of the Glass, Cement, Ceramic and Soil Industries Workers’ Union of Turkey (Kristal-İş), as well as numerous syndicate and parties attended the walk. Four police tanks (TOMA) and a great number of police officials lay in wait in front of the Israeli Consulate and the Şişecam building.
The workers decided to walk in protest after State Council refused Kristal-İş’s request for a motion for stay of execution on the Council of Ministers’ June 27 dated decision to postpone the strike for 60 days.
People from various towns and societal segments joined also came to outside the Şişecam conglomerate headquarters in support of the workers who declared that they would be fighting for their rights until the end.
Kristal-İş Chair Bilal Çetintaş also gave a speech at the site.
What had happened?
5800 Şişecam workers linked with Kristal-İş went on strike on June 20, 2014 following the failure of Kristal-İş and Şişecam to reach an agreement in their 24th collective bargaining meeting, protesting low and unfair payroll distribution and lack of job security, and demanding the protection of acquired syndical rights. The Council of Ministers’ decision dated June 25 and published on June 27 in the official gazette postponed the strike for 60 days on grounds that it was “disrupting national security.”
The strike encompasses 10 work places tied to 6 Şişecam companies, which are Paşabahçe Glass Industry Inc. (Kırklareli, Mersin, Eskişehir factories), Anadolu Glass Industry Inc. (Mersin factory), Trakya Glass Industry Inc. (Trakya Flat Glass, Trakya Automobile Glass and Mersin factories), Anadolu Glass Yenişehir Industry Inc., Trakya Glass Yenişehir Industry Inc. and Glass Fiber Industry Inc. (BK/HK/PU)