Is ESHOT on strike? Why are İzmir buses not running? Has the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality made a statement?

IS ESHOT ON STRIKE?

Employees of the Aegean City Lines and Bus Management (ESHOT), affiliated with the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality, have decided to go on strike due to the non-payment of their salaries and social benefits. The workers, who began their protest by halting service for 580 vehicles for an hour and a half, will suspend services throughout the day today.

WHEN WILL THE STRIKE END?

Ercan Gül, Branch President of Genel İş İzmir No. 2, who made a press statement on behalf of the workers, stated that negotiations with municipal officials are ongoing and that the protests will continue if they do not reach the desired outcome.

HAS THE MUNICIPALITY MADE A STATEMENT?

A statement was issued from the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality's X account, signed by Mayor Cemil Tugay.

The statement included the following remarks:

"Some of the authorized unions have unlawfully taken action, citing a temporary payment crisis caused by deductions from the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality's Treasury share. However, metro, tram, and ferry services in our city are continuing according to their normal schedules. There are partial disruptions in the services of the İzmir General Directorate of Electricity, Water, Gas, Bus, and Trolleybus (ESHOT).

We would like to inform you that we will return this extraordinary process to normal as soon as possible.”