İzmir municipal workers go on strike
IZMIR
Around 23,000 municipal workers in the western Turkish province of İzmir launched a strike on May 29, citing a dispute over wages with the municipality.
Negotiations between Confederation of Revolutionary Trade Unions of Türkiye (DİSK), other unions and the İzmir Municipality had been ongoing for several months.
However, the parties failed to reach an agreement, particularly on the wage clauses of the collective bargaining agreement.
Workers lit torches and chanted slogans before unveiling a banner reading “Strike at this workplace,” officially commencing the strike at midnight in the Türkiye’s third most populous city.
The walkout has brought key municipal services to a halt, including public transportation such as buses and the metro, as well as parking operations, kindergartens and urban sanitation and cleaning services.
Local media on the morning of May 29 published footage showing crowds forming at bus stops as a result of the halted services.
İzmir Mayor Cemil Tugay stated that negotiations had continued until the very last minute but failed to yield a consensus.
He also stated the municipality’s wage offer was quite generous considering Türkiye’s current economic conditions.
While the unions are demanding monthly salaries ranging from 82,000 to 94,000 Turkish Liras nearly ($2,100 to $2,400), the municipality has proposed a range of 60,000 to 76,000 liras.
Tugay emphasized that the current minimum wage stands at 22,104 liras, arguing that the municipality’s offer is reasonable and the budget does not allow for a higher figure.
The İzmir strike follows a brief work stoppage in Istanbul on May 22, during which around 1,000 private public bus drivers walked off the job. That strike ended the same day after an agreement was reached with the municipality.
