ANKARA – Türk-İş, Turkey's largest labor confederation, has officially launched its series of protests in response to the government's "unnegotiable" 16% wage increase offer for public workers. As of today, workers nationwide have begun their actions by disembarking from their service vehicles 500 meters from their workplaces and reading public statements. The protests are planned to continue across 81 provinces.

Workers Take Action, Protest Calendar Confirmed

Türk-İş has announced a detailed action plan to be implemented across all 81 provinces. The protest schedule includes the following steps:

• Tuesday, June 24: Workers disembark from service vehicles 500 meters before their workplaces and read statements in front of their factories.
• Thursday, June 26: Workers report to their workplaces but will not work until noon.
• Tuesday, July 1: Gatherings will be held in provincial centers, followed by press statements at the end of the workday.
• Thursday, July 3: Statements will be made in front of AKP provincial buildings in all 81 provinces.
• Tuesday, July 8: Workers will not leave their workplaces at the end of their shifts and will remain there until morning.
• Thursday, July 17: A full-day work stoppage will be observed.

Hak-İş Maintains Silence on Action

Despite the initiation of protests by Türk-İş, Hak-İş, another authorized confederation, has not announced any protest decisions following its Presidents' Council meeting in Van. While their published statement focused on condemning attacks on Iran and supporting Palestine, no concrete steps were outlined regarding the demands of public workers.

Background of the Dispute

On June 18, Türk-İş member public workers marched to the Ministry of Treasury and Finance in Ankara to protest the low wage offer. Workers left a coffin in front of the ministry building, calling for the resignation of Minister Mehmet Şimşek. Türk-İş General Chairman Ergün Atalay had announced at the protest site that an action plan would be revealed, a decision enthusiastically supported by workers chanting "Action, action!"

The initial 16% offer from TÜHİS (Turkish Heavy Industry and Service Sector Public Employers' Union) to public workers was announced on June 13. Since then, unions have been calling for higher wage increases and organized protests.

Source: evrensel.net