The strike, which involved 23,000 workers, ended just before the Eid al-Adha holiday on June 4 through a collective bargaining agreement between İzBB and DİSK-affiliated unions.
However, as of June 10, the municipality began implementing layoffs. This comes despite İzBB Mayor Cemil Tugay’s earlier statement: “It is true that we are trying to reduce the number of workers if they are surplus to needs. But this is not a mass layoff.”
Nevertheless, the municipality has decided to terminate the employment of 1,000 workers: 800 from İZDOĞA and 100 each from İZULAŞ and İZBETON. A notice sent to the Union of Municipalities and General Services Workers of Turkey (TÜRK-İŞ) stated that this would be a “mandatory mass layoff.” The layoff process, which began on June 10, is scheduled to continue until July 4.
İzmir'de anlaşma sağlandı, grev sona erdi
Official notice outlines criteria for dismissals
According to the municipality’s notice:
“The announced ‘mandatory mass layoff’ process will continue starting from June 10, 2025, and will be completed by July 4, 2025. The workers subject to this mass layoff will be those who (i) voluntarily resign, (ii) qualify for retirement through the Social Security Institution, (iii) do not wish to be reassigned to another suitable position after their current roles are eliminated, or (iv) are laid off following the principle of last-in, first-out. To assist in the preparation of the layoff list, your union representative is requested to contact the Human Resources Department on June 10 or 12. This is provided to you in accordance with Article 29 of Labor Law No. 4857.”
Legal challenge to collective agreement
Meanwhile, Mayor Cemil Tugay has taken the collective bargaining agreement to court. He objected to the provision granting workers, in the second year of the agreement, a salary increase equivalent to annual inflation plus an additional three percentage points, amounting to 42.05%.
However, the court rejected Tugay’s request to amend this clause.
(HA/DT)
