Surging inflation, poor working conditions and deepening poverty are pushing workers into struggle amid a rising wave of strikes internationally. On 5 August, workers at two factories of auto parts manufacturer Standard Profil in Duzce and Manisa went on wildcat strikes and occupied their workplaces, demanding an additional raise and safe working conditions. Over 2,000 workers joined the walkouts, which ended on 9 August after the company accepted workers’ demands. Accordingly, management will give workers a further 28% wage increase, a TL 1,500 (€83) shopping voucher, and take occupational health and safety measures. The wildcat strikes at Standard Profil took place amid growing anger against the steadily rising cost of living and falling real wages. Official annual inflation in Turkey rose to 79.6% as of July.
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For more information, please contact Paul de Beer or Oana Ciuca, De Burcht (Scientific Bureau for the Dutch Trade Union Movement) p.t.debeer@uva.nl or the Head of communications at the ETUI, Mehmet Koksal mkoksal@etui.org. For previous full issues of the Collective bargaining newsletter please visit https://www.etui.org/Newsletters/Collective-bargaining-newsletter or consult the archive with all articles in our database at www.cbnarchive.eu.
You may find further information on the ETUI at www.etui.org.