Group Collective Labor Agreement negotiations between the Turkish Metal Union and the Metal Industrialists' Employers' Union (MESS), which started on September 26, 2023 and concerned 150 thousand workers, were interrupted after Türk Metal left the table in the session held on November 22, 2023, and the parties kept the dispute report.
While no results were obtained during the mediator phase of the negotiations, the Union announced that it had decided to strike.
After the dispute decision was taken within the scope of the Collective Labor Agreement negotiations, MESS returned with a proportional increase offer, but the official mediation process had started in accordance with the law.
An agreement could not be reached during this process. In the statement made by the Turkish Metal Union, drawing attention to the economic bottleneck in Turkey, "Türk Metal-Sen declares to the public that it does not accept this offer, which is deemed appropriate for metal workers in such a period, and this approach that harms labor peace. Our union, which took warning actions in workplaces against MESS's uncompromising attitude and approach, but could not get any results from them, decided to strike on January 9, 2024 in order to protect the sweat of its members entrusted to our union and not to compromise the rights and freedoms of labor and rights and justice in working life," it was stated.
ACTIONS WILL START AS OF TODAY
In the statement, it was pointed out that the knife is now cut to the bone, and stated that the protests will continue until sufficient wages are received for a humane life.
"For this purpose, today, our members will protest at all workplaces within the scope of the MESS contract, at all shift entrances and exits. If no results are achieved, our actions will continue, including using our power from production," the statement added.