Migros warehouse workers secure majority of their demands: 'A first in labor history'

Negotiations regarding the demands of Migros warehouse workers, led by the Warehouse, Port, Shipyard and Marine Workers Union (DGD-SEN), have been paused. While DGD-SEN announced that protests will continue, DGD-SEN lawyer Mürsel Ünder informed 12punto that the majority of the demands have been met. 

The second negotiation meeting between the Warehouse, Port, Shipyard and Marine Workers Union (DGD-SEN) and Migros management began at 14:00 on February 11 (today) for Migros warehouse workers, whose demands include a 50 percent net wage increase, full payment of bank promotions to workers, employer-paid taxes, and permanent staff status for all Migros subcontractors without discrimination or conditions. Although DGD-SEN reported that significant progress was made during the meeting, a full agreement could not be reached, and they announced that negotiation meetings would continue on Friday, February 13, to address the remaining unresolved issues. 

'EITHER A RESPECTFUL COMPROMISE OR UNCOMPROMISING RESISTANCE'

A post shared on DGD-SEN's X account on Thursday, February 12, drew attention. One day before the negotiation meeting, the consensus stalled because Migros management failed to show the necessary approach regarding the reinstatement of more than 300 dismissed workers, leading DGD-SEN to decide on protest action. Announcing the decision with the statement, 'Enough, Migros! Do not play with the dignity of the worker! We are coming back,' DGD-SEN stated that the protest would be held in front of the Beykoz villa of Migros boss Tuncay Özilhan. 

'WE ARE VERY CLOSE TO VICTORY, CONTINUE THE RESISTANCE!'

DGD-SEN reiterated the reason for its call to action via its X account and announced the developments agreed upon with Migros management on Friday, February 13 (today) as follows: 

'THE GREATEST GAIN'

DGD-SEN lawyer Mürsel Ünder spoke to 12punto regarding the negotiation process and the decision to protest. Ünder stated, 'There have been very important developments in the negotiation meetings. Naturally, we are currently focused on the 'dismissed workers' and it will remain that way until the end. However, there are such important gains in the recent history of the Turkish working class and labor history:'

For the first time, over 7,500 warehouse workers and subcontracted workers were transitioned to permanent staff status following an actual resistance. This is the greatest achievement; there is no debate about that. Regardless of how much our union style may have been criticized, they have been successfully unionized. The actions taken over six days—including workplace occupation, work stoppages, and slowdowns—all became significant arguments in a 'struggle for rights,' and through this, concrete gains were achieved. We believe these are significant, noteworthy accumulations and gains for the working class, beyond just the Migros warehouse workers. Frankly, we are not overlooking these.

'AGAIN, FOR THE FIRST TIME' 

Ünder added another 'first' to his words and continued: 'A picture like this has also emerged: For the first time, subcontracted workers—I believe for the first time—will be at a higher wage scale than the main staff workers... Or rather, it has become so as of now. In fact, rather than a conflict over warehouse workers receiving much higher wages, this has become a striking indicator of how close the wages of store and market workers are to what we call 'misery conditions.' As of the end of January and February 2026, the hourly unit wages of warehouse workers are now higher than those of the main company's permanent staff.'

There are issues we mentioned in our statement; promises that union preferences and styles will be respected, the payment of promotion fees, and the recognition by the main company of the seniority periods workers spent under subcontractors in the warehouses... You can add the other parts as well; all of these are quite significant gains for the Migros warehouse workers.'

'WE WILL NOT ADOPT A UNION STYLE THAT OVERSHADOWS WORKER GAINS' 

Ünder emphasized that DGD-SEN acted within the framework of 'union laws' during the Migros warehouse workers' resistance:  and continued:

'However, there is this: we maintain our objections regarding the warehouse industry—that is, our objections and legal arguments that it should be in industry number 16, not in the store-market industry, which is number 10. But we have always said this before: we will not engage in a union style or imposition that would come before the workers' demands and the workers' gains. Even though our objection continues here, we have made a commitment that we will pursue these objections before the Ministry and the courts. In return for this commitment, there was an acceptance that these would be respected within the framework of union laws once they are concluded positively.'

These are also very, very important gains. Because we know this: while it might seem like the drafting of a simple, ordinary legal clause, we attach great importance and value to such a commitment, especially in an environment where there are massive union-busting movements, litigation paths, and similar obstacles regarding collective bargaining processes and the introduction of unwanted unions into workplaces. Beyond all this, in fact, all the demands of the resistance have been accepted by a very large percentage.

'THE DEMAND NOW IS THE REINSTATEMENT OF DISMISSED WORKERS'

According to Ünder, while all the demands of the resistance were accepted by a very large percentage, the reinstatement of the dismissed workers has now become the clear and primary agenda: "However, the process of the unfair dismissal of our fellow workers, which we added to our demands during the resistance, naturally changed the order of priorities for us and for our fellow workers. The top priority has now shifted to the demand for the reinstatement of the dismissed workers. They have partial approaches... We don't want to ignore this, but in a situation where 303 people were dismissed, the reinstatement of a significant portion of them, and the issue of the others—meaning those who wish to leave—being paid their rights, is one of the points we will never take a step back from, alongside all these other gains. Furthermore, there is also the issue that cleaning staff and some administrative personnel are still working as subcontractors; our objection to this continues. As soon as the problem is resolved on these two issues, especially regarding the reinstatement of the dismissed workers, the resistance of the Migros warehouse workers will have concluded with a very respectable and beautiful outcome."

DID MİGROS MANAGEMENT STALL THE WORKERS?

Regarding the view that Migros management stalled the workers with negotiation meetings, Ünder said, "It is very difficult to say whether it was a 'stalling tactic to gain time' or not; everyone has different interpretations. But we can say this: because we did not convey every meeting to the public with clear statements, and because we felt the content of those meetings should not be expressed until it became somewhat clearer. In a situation where there is no progress, we don't really see a need for a subsequent meeting. Therefore, we—both the negotiators and the friends on the union board—saw for ourselves that there was progress, which is why we felt it necessary to hold the next meeting. So, we don't know if they were internally trying to stall or something else, but because we saw a process that was moving forward, we took a position by accepting the next meeting each time." he said.

'ALL SUCCESS IS DUE TO THE ACTIONS'

Ünder highlighted the impact of the protests in securing their demands and stated the following:

These demands were accepted entirely thanks to the protests. In other words, during the first meeting or our negotiation efforts prior to the talks, we were nowhere near what I am describing now. Especially the broad public support for Migros workers and the fact that everyone actively participated in the Migros boycott all across Turkey... Furthermore, the protests held in front of Özilhan's house and the workers' approach of standing by their union and their will... Since all of these came together in a collective movement, the entire success is due to the protests."

Report: Cenk Başboğaoğlu