He signed the contract 5 days before leaving office: Tunç Soyer offers 'advice' to Cemil Tugay regarding the strike crisis in İzmir

After collective bargaining negotiations between the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality and the DİSK Genel-İş Union reached a deadlock, workers at İZELMAN, İZENERJİ, and Egeşehir went on strike.

The strike by 23 thousand workers disrupted municipal operations, leading to piles of garbage accumulating in the city. Following this, İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Cemil Tugay began collecting trash himself.

In a statement to TELE1, Tugay indicated that the reason for the dispute with the union was a collective bargaining agreement signed with another union during the Tunç Soyer era, stating, "We have filed an adjustment lawsuit. Perhaps a result will emerge and it will be resolved."

Tunç Soyer did not delay in responding to these remarks by Tugay. Defending the collective bargaining agreement he signed just 5 days before the March 31, 2024, local elections—where he was not nominated as a candidate—Soyer stated the following:

"The CBA we signed 5 days before the local election, covering 5,800 workers, has been portrayed as the very cause of this strike. Yet, at that time, many candidates, including our own metropolitan mayoral candidate, were very clear that signing the contract would positively contribute to the votes they would receive, and they desired for it to be done as soon as possible. Therefore, knowing that it would not put the newly elected administration in a difficult position but rather have an effect that would facilitate things under the conditions of that day, and because the negotiations conducted through Sodemsen resulted in a consensus, we signed the CBA. Furthermore, the figures in the signed contract were later applied in other collective agreements at other IBB companies."

MEDIATOR PROPOSAL

Stating that he is saddened by the events, Soyer offered 'advice' to the municipality. Soyer said, "My concrete proposal is for a mediator, agreed upon by both parties, to meet with each side separately to ensure that both parties take steps toward a solution. Only through such a method would it be possible for the parties to come together to shake hands."

Soyer's post is as follows:

"The 5th day of the strike in İzmir has passed.

Like every resident of İzmir, I am very saddened by what is happening in İzmir.

For 5 years, we also struggled with very major crises; I am writing this to share a solution proposal regarding this crisis in light of those experiences.

The CBA we signed 5 days before the local election, covering 5,800 workers, has been portrayed as the very cause of this strike. Yet, at that time, many candidates, including our own metropolitan mayoral candidate, were very clear that signing the contract would positively contribute to the votes they would receive, and they desired for it to be done as soon as possible. Therefore, knowing that it would not put the newly elected administration in a difficult position but rather have an effect that would facilitate things under the conditions of that day, and because the negotiations conducted through Sodemsen resulted in a consensus, we signed the CBA.

Furthermore, the figures in the signed contract were later applied in other collective agreements at other IBB companies.

One reason for the daily wage difference that has emerged today stems from the increase at the end of the first year, which is included in all contracts, based on the inflation rate in 2025.

In conclusion, the raise we provided was a rate that would satisfy the worker under high inflation conditions and would not leave the municipality in a difficult situation within the framework of our budget at that time.

Municipal legislation is very clear.

Personnel expenses cannot exceed 30% of the municipal budget. We remained below this limit.

The 'work attendance bonus' found in that contract is not a bonus given to the working employee just for working. It is merely a regulation of the wages that would already be given to the worker, under the heading of 'social rights' for union-related reasons, which had been included in CBAs made before my term of office.

For 5 years, I acted in line with the principle of equal pay for equal work, and I observed this principle most of all in all CBAs.

I believed that one of the most fundamental priorities to ensure labor peace and workplace tranquility, in order to be a city that produces services that will be an example to the country, is this principle.

The financial difficulty that the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality, which is rated AAA by the international rating agency Fitch, has fallen into today is not due to the CBAs or hiring made in the previous term, but due to the Government's 'shaking' policy and the very large cuts made to its allocations. In fact, the current administration stated on September 2, 2024, before these cuts, that the municipality has no debt it cannot pay. Moreover, the figures mentioned as having been hired in the recent period, expressed in the thousands, are also not true.

In conclusion, looking for faults in the past is of no use in solving the point reached today. Unfortunately, the ground for compromise between the parties is disappearing with every passing minute, and tension in the city is rising.

What needs to be done is for a solution to be produced without the parties confronting each other directly.

My concrete proposal is for a mediator, agreed upon by both parties, to meet with each side separately to ensure that both parties take steps toward a solution.

Only through such a method would it be possible for the parties to come together to shake hands.

Protecting the union rights won through years of long union struggles, as well as the reputation that Turkey's third-largest city has created in the eyes of the country for many years, will only be possible this way.

Even if equal pay for equal work cannot be achieved immediately, by not giving up on that goal and by maintaining the target of equality in prosperity rather than in misery, both parties and the people of İzmir can find peace."

The 5th day of the strike in İzmir has passed.

Like every resident of İzmir, I am very saddened by what is happening in İzmir.

For 5 years, we also struggled with very major crises; I am writing this to share a solution proposal regarding this crisis in light of those experiences.

The CBA we signed 5 days before the local election, covering 5,800…

— Tunç Soyer (@tuncsoyer) June 2, 2025

News Source: 12punto