350 workers were on strike for 12 days: GATES strike ends in victory

Following the failure to reach an agreement in the 1st Term Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations that began on September 27, 2023, between Birleşik Metal-İş and the GATES employer, the strike banner was hung on March 8 at this workplace, where female workers are in the majority.

The union stated the following in its announcement:

"On the 12th day of the GATES strike yesterday, negotiations began at 12:30 PM at the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, involving our Birleşik Metal-İş General President Özkan Atar, our General Secretary Ali Çeltek, and our Branch President Evren Aktürk, along with the General Director of Labor Mehmet Baş and the employer delegation, and continued for long hours throughout the day.

An agreement was reached once the negotiations reached a level that would satisfy the workers and meet their expectations.

Our General President Özkan Atar, our General Secretary Ali Çeltek, and our İzmir Branch executives shared the details of the contract with our members at the strike site today. In the statement made, the gains achieved through the contract were listed as follows:

-A 105 percent raise in worker wages on average for January 2024

-A raise at the rate of inflation with a minimum wage floor for the second 6 months of 2024

-A raise at the rate of inflation + 4 percent welfare share with a minimum wage floor for January 2025

-Inflation + 4 percent raise for the last 6 months of 2025

-Supplementary health insurance as of January 2025

-The bonus, which was applied as 90 days per year, was increased to 120 days per year (became 4 bonuses)

-A 140 percent raise in social benefits along with new rights acquisitions

-The food allowance, which was applied as 1,500 liras once a year, will be applied as 3,000 liras 3 times a year.

Our members welcomed this collective agreement, which includes many new gains, with enthusiasm."

"YOUR BANS WILL NOT WORK"

Addressing the workers, Birleşik Metal-İş President Özkan Atar recalled that the employer had attempted to have the strike postponed, saying, “We said that if they resorted to strike bans, we would never recognize such a ban. We said, ‘Your bans will not work on us! Our strike will continue until a collective agreement that our members will welcome with applause is signed.’ And today, you, the GATES workers, who defended the right to strike to the end, have written an epic! On behalf of our union, I congratulate you for this honorable struggle you have waged, and I offer you my respects!”

“Through resistance to victory!”, “Long live our honorable strike”, “This is just the beginning, the struggle continues!” chanted the GATES workers, celebrating the gains they achieved by using their power of production with torches and traditional dances.

THEY RAISED THE STRUGGLE SHOULDER TO SHOULDER

In a written statement issued by the union's General Executive Board following the negotiations at the Ministry, the following was noted:

“In the GATES strike, our members raised their struggle for work, bread, and rights shoulder to shoulder and in solidarity from the first day to the last.

GATES workers carried out a historical and glorious resistance for 12 days.

And once again, WE WON!

We thank all our friends, especially the GATES workers, who ensured the successful conclusion of our strike, who visited our strike in support, who stood in solidarity, who stood by the working class, and who offered us moral support.”