23,000 workers on strike in İzmir! Transportation paralyzed: Statement from Cemil Tugay

Approximately 23,000 workers have launched a strike at the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality due to a dispute in collective bargaining agreements.

Members of the Genel-İş Union's İzmir branches 1, 2, 3, and 9 gathered in front of the Metropolitan Municipality service building at the Kültürpark Fairgrounds. The workers, who lit torches, chanted various slogans, and performed traditional dances, later unfurled a banner reading "There is a strike at this workplace."

The union branch presidents and workers hung the banner on the metropolitan municipality building. Ercan Gül, President of the Genel-İş İzmir Branch No. 2, said in a speech there that approximately 23,000 workers had begun the strike as of midnight. Stating that they would fight shoulder to shoulder, Gül said, "We did not come to cause unrest, but to increase our bread. Everyone will be level-headed and support this struggle. We will not allow anyone to harm this place. We will continue our struggle until we increase this bread."

CEMİL TUGAY: LIFE WILL BECOME DIFFICULT

Metropolitan Mayor Cemil Tugay also stated in a post on his social media account that negotiations had been ongoing until that moment, but an agreement could not be reached.

Tugay summarized the process as follows:

"Collective bargaining negotiations have been ongoing with DİSK Genel-İş for approximately 6 months, since the beginning of January 2025, by İzmir Metropolitan Municipality subsidiaries İzelman and İzenerji. Recently, meetings lasting up to 12 hours a day were held, but no consensus could be reached, and the strike process will begin as of tomorrow. Unfortunately, the union's demands are not reasonable; in an environment where the country's people and the city's people are living under difficult conditions and the municipal budget is being depleted, meeting this demand is not possible, not realistic, not reasonable, not public-spirited, and not in line with the spirit of solidarity. However, a strike is a right and a part of democratic life; the strike call by our unions and our employees participating in the strike by complying with these calls are their legal rights. We will respect this; however, we will also respond with the law to actions that will not be protected under the Law during the strike implementation. For the strike process, our Municipality has taken measures in all important service areas, and we have begun to inform our public through communication channels. However, I would like to share with our public that this process is a strike, that it concerns 20,000 employees, and that it will make daily life difficult. We are ready to do everything to ensure this strike ends before it starts or as soon as possible, and we are open to any proposal that protects the public, protects public resources, and strengthens the spirit of solidarity against the government's austerity policies. I hope the union will not insist on these demands; it is clear that no gain for the workers and labor will be achieved with these demands. The public conscience will not support the union on this point either. I, too, do not and cannot agree with these demands of the union. But I hold each of my worker brothers and sisters separate. This table will always be open for your labor. But let it not be expected of me to be irresponsible, and let our fellow citizens have no doubt that I will act according to the real conditions of İzmir and the municipality. Our expectation from the union is to discuss demands that are compatible with the realities of our country and the conditions our Municipality possesses. I would also like it to be known that until one hour before the strike on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, I tried to produce a solution by staying in contact with the union at the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor's Working Office. I present this to the information of our public. Sincerely."