Sputnik Turkey journalists continue strike on ninth day

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Until last year, the most recent media strike in Turkey dated back to 2009 when employees of ATV and the daily Sabah, affiliated with one of the country's largest media conglomerates, went on strike. However, in the past year, three foreign media organizations' Turkish offices have seen strikes.

In January 2022, employees of BBC Monitoring in İstanbul managed to secure their demands after a 15-day strike. This year, on May 3, which is celebrated as World Press Freedom Day, AFP employees initiated a strike, which concluded successfully on the ninth day.

Currently, journalists at the İstanbul office of the Russian state media outlet Sputnik are in the midst of a strike. These journalists have been staging their protest outside Süzer Plaza in İstanbul's Dolmabahçe area for nine days. What sets this strike apart is Sputnik's decision to terminate the employment of 24 unionized journalists on the very day the strike commenced.

The journalists are demanding the reinstatement of the dismissed employees and Sputnik returning to the negotiation table for a collective bargaining agreement with the Journalists' Union of Turkey (TGS).

"We report on the economic crisis every day"

Günce Nur İnce, an editor and presenter at Sputnik, is among the striking journalists. She shared that the initial collective bargaining talks after TGS gained the authority for collective agreements after the beginning of the year were "amicable" at the beginning.

"However, these talks kept being postponed until August. Afterward, Sputnik walked away from the collective bargaining table. In response, we decided to strike.

"Right after we posted the strike notice at the İstanbul and Ankara offices, Sputnik dismissed 24 journalists. So, we are both conducting a return-to-work protest and a strike."

İnce said that their demands on the negotiation table are reasonable. They are seeking wage increases, private health insurance, and support for those working from home.

"Sputnik employees are barely making ends meet. While we report on the economic crisis every day, we are being crushed under inflation. Sputnik operates globally, backed by the Russian government, and operates in Süzer Plaza, one of the most central and expensive places not only in İstanbul but perhaps in all of Turkey.

"In this situation, Sputnik hasn't even provided a single offer for our minimal demands. Our union rights were disregarded."

"The rent paid for the office exceeds our wages"

Harun Erözbağ, an editor among the 24 journalists dismissed, commented, "My colleagues who work here have managed to withstand this situation so far with the support of their families."

Describing staging a strike at a high-end business center like Süzer Plaza as "tragicomical," he said that "even my friends have trouble believing it."

"The rent paid for one of Turkey's most significant plazas exceeds the wages paid to all these workers combined. Sputnik invested in concrete, not in its employees. We've been laid off from our jobs. So, we can't experience anything worse than this.

"However, Sputnik needs to abandon its stubborn stance against the union as soon as possible. Sputnik needs to accept the union and promptly sit at the collective bargaining table. The colleagues who were fired have been providing their labor here for years, contributing to Sputnik. A scenario in which both sides win is possible if they come back."

The Sputnik strike continues with the support of visiting parliament members, union representatives, and members of civil society on one side, and the honking horns of passing vehicles on the other. "Honk your horn to support us," reads the placard the journalist displays. (Photo: Dilek Sarıgül/bianet)

"Many journalists earn lower than average"

Nejdet Eksilmez, the workplace representative for TGS at Sputnik, sees the strike not only as a struggle of journalists but also as a just demand of all workers in Turkey grappling with the economic crisis.

"Those who watch journalists on screen or read newspapers in Turkey believe that media workers have good income and are living under good conditions. However, it's not so.

"Behind every piece of news, there are thousands of journalists working in the background; they do not have equal conditions with TV personalities. In fact, many of them receive salaries lower than the Turkish average."

"How can a journalist who wakes up every morning thinking about their own economic situation produce economic news? How can they be the voice of the people?"

"Infringement on constitutional rights"

TGS Secretary-General İlkay Akkaya emphasizes the legal aspect of the matter. She explains that dismissing 24 journalists while negotiations for a collective agreement were ongoing is a violation of the law.

Describing the actions of Sputnik Turkey as infringing on the constitutional rights of its employees and disregarding the law, Akkaya mentions that TGS has taken legal action in this regard. "We filed a criminal complaint on August 23. Despite all our good-faith efforts, since they didn't step back, we initiated a process at the Ministry of Labor for the Turkish management of Sputnik.

"The fight here is not just about Sputnik Turkey employees. It is also a fight for raising the plummeted wages in the media sector. Our energy is high, and we are determined." (HA/VK)