DISK chair Arzu Çerkezoğlu explained the reason for the metal workers strike together with Adnan Serdaroğlu, President of Birleşik Metal-Iş.

 

Serdaroğlu pointed out that in the collective agreement negotiations that began on 7 October 2019, workers' and employers' unions agreed on 44 articles but failed to reach an agreement on 64 articles in two regulations.

 

Serdaroğlu said that workers and unions are determined to fight for the future of 130,000 metal workers and about 500,000 people in total when including their families.

 

The employers offered a 6.05 percent increase for the first six months of the year, the workers' unions demanded a 34 percent increase for the same period.

 

Throughout the negotiations, MESS (Turkish Employers'​ Association of Metal Industries) twice increased its raise offer, first to 8 percent, then to 10 percent.

 

Serdaroğlu said: "As we know, there is an important difference between the offer of the employers and our demands. MESS has not taken steps to meet the demands of metal workers to date. The approach employers have shown is far from one of solving the problem at the negotiation table."

 

Serdaroğlu confirmed that metal workers will go on strike on 5 Februrar. "No one should test the metalworker's determination. On February 5, we will go on strike. The knife is on the bone, our patience is over."