The TMMOB Chambers of Food, Chemical, and Agricultural Engineers visited DİSK Vice President and United Metal Workers' Union (Birleşik Metal-İş) President Özkan Atar, as well as World Federation of Trade Unions Vice President and Nakliyat-İş Union President Ali Rıza Küçükosmanoğlu on September 22.
General Secretary Ali Çeltek and General Organization Secretary Fehmi Elmacı were also present during the visit to the United Metal Workers' Union, while General Secretary Erdal Kopal attended the visit to Nakliyat-İş.
The visits were attended by TMMOB Chamber of Food Engineers Kocaeli Branch President Sema Kopal, Branch 2nd President Emine Pirgan Güngör, Branch Manager Didem Pala, Kocaeli Chamber of Agricultural Engineers President Mehmet Veysel Ayhan, Chamber of Chemical Engineers Kocaeli Branch President Ali Cemil Akın, Chamber of Agricultural Engineers Istanbul Branch President Deniz Kapıkıran, and Sinem İnkaya on behalf of the Chamber of Food Engineers Istanbul Branch Board of Directors.
“50,000 engineers could suffer a loss of rights”
During the meetings, information was provided regarding the lawsuit filed by ISS Catering Production and Services Inc. to cancel the Mandatory Minimum Wage Application for Personnel, which has been implemented for many years by the Chambers of Food, Chemical, and Agricultural Engineers, and the struggle being waged against it.
The statement noted that the lawsuit could lead to the loss of rights for approximately 50,000 engineers, including 26,000 food engineers, along with agricultural and chemical engineers. The Chamber also argued that this situation would mean an imposition of low wages that would spread to all engineers.
The statement expressed that the low-wage practice could also create problems regarding the public's access to safe food.
“They cannot even tolerate a minimum wage of 95,500 liras”
The TMMOB Chamber of Food Engineers Kocaeli Branch stated that according to BİSAM's August 2026 data, the poverty line is 122,000 TL and the hunger threshold is 37,000 TL.
The statement indicated that the 95,500 TL minimum wage, which ISS is reportedly opposing, was determined as of July 2026 and that this figure now remains below the poverty line.
The Chamber argued that for this reason, food, chemical, and agricultural engineers are being subjected to wages below the poverty line and close to the hunger threshold.
“Contrary to international agreements”
The statement claimed that the aforementioned attitude of ISS is not in compliance with international agreements, nor with the articles regarding organization, fundamental rights of employees, and human rights contained in the United Nations Global Compact.
The Chamber argued that ISS's attitude in Turkey is contrary to ILO conventions, the United Nations Global Compact, the European Social Charter—which ISS has also signed and accepted—and other agreements.
Call from unions against ISS
The TMMOB Chamber of Food Engineers Kocaeli Branch requested that unions with thousands of members call for the company to withdraw the lawsuit in the businesses and factories where they are authorized, and everywhere ISS provides services.
The statement requested support from unions to demand that companies stop working with ISS and terminate their business contracts and agreements if ISS does not abandon its attitude of imposing low wages and precarious work on food engineers.
“We will grow the struggle even further”
The statement included the following: “We once again condemn this attitude of ISS, which tries to do in Turkey what it cannot do in Denmark, and which tries to usurp the acquired rights of engineers.”
It was reported that if the problem, which is stated to be important especially for food engineers, is not resolved, the struggle will be grown even further. The TMMOB Chamber of Food Engineers Kocaeli Branch announced that they would make the struggle more effective by creating public opinion together with their members across Turkey and other democratic mass organizations.
At the end of the statement, the Chamber thanked the union presidents and executives who reported that they would be in solidarity regarding the withdrawal of the lawsuit for the cancellation of the minimum wage application.
News Source: 12punto
