Unions sign collective labor agreement, metal workers halt work in protest

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Not accepting the collective labor agreement signed between three metal workers' unions and the employers' union, hundreds of workers have halted work in protest in Turkey's Mersin province.

The Turkish Metal Union, United Metal Workers Union and Özçelik Labor Union and the employers' union, the Metal Industrialists Union of Turkey (MESS), reached an agreement in collective bargaining and signed the collective labor agreement yesterday (January 12).

Affecting the wages and employee personal rights of 130 thousand metal workers across Turkey, the 2-year collective agreement foresees a 27.44-percent increase in the wages in the first 6 months.

CLICK - Metal workers, employers' union reach an agreement

Learning that the collective labor agreement has been signed by the unions, the workers of the Çimsataş metal factory, also members of the United Metal Workers Union, have halted work in protest.

While the protest started at the night shift, when workers halted work in one section of the factory for 2 hours, the workers of the next two shifts also joined the protest, which has turned it into a strike action.

In response to this, United Metal Workers Union Anatolian Branch Chair Deniz Ilgan came to the Çimsataş Factory, where 835 workers work, and met the workers. Workers said that they did not accept the signed agreement and they would resist until their requests were met.

Complaints and requests

Ilgan, together with three workplace representatives and two representatives that he chose among the workers, met the employers about the workers' requests. Workers demanded an additional protocol so that their seven requests could be met. The requests of workers are:

An additional 35-percent wage increase to the 27-percent increase foreseen by the signed agreement as well as a wage increase at the inflation rate in the second six month; 100-percent overtime pay on workdays and 300-percent overtime pay at the weekend; extending the scope of workers' private health insurance to cover their families as well; net 100-percent increase in social rights; seniority-based pay; tea and rest breaks; full payment of bank promotions, which have long been deficiently paid.

Expressing their complaints about their wages and working conditions, workers have noted that the wage increase foreseen by the collective agreement is not enough considering the current conditions. "We work under pressure inside; everything is forbidden," they have protested.

Workers have underlined that they cannot take a leave of absence even when they have to attend a funeral, their right to go to the toilet is restricted and the roof is leaking in the departments where they work. Accordingly, they have said that they want to work in humane conditions.

Workers have announced that the strike action will continue until the additional protocol is signed. (HA/SD)