150 Workers Laid Off at Beko Eskişehir: Job Security Concerns Soar Amidst Massive Investments

150 workers have been dismissed from Beko Eskişehir. This wave of layoffs, occurring as the company announces huge investments and global growth, has heightened job security anxieties among workers. The silence from the union and strong reactions from EMEP are notable.

Eskişehir - Approximately 150 workers have been laid off from Beko's refrigerator and compressor factories in Eskişehir, part of Koç Holding. This "worker cull," happening as the company announces billion-euro turnovers and global growth targets, has escalated tensions between union officials and workers, sending job security concerns soaring.

The recent layoffs at Beko's Refrigerator and Compressor Factory in Eskişehir have sent shockwaves through the metal sector. Allegedly, nearly 150 workers were dismissed under pretexts such as "performance inadequacy, absenteeism, and excessive use of medical reports." However, workers claim that some individuals who received "superior performance awards" in 2024 were also among those dismissed, and that union members critical of the management were targeted, raising questions about the true reasons behind the layoffs.

Allegations of Threats and Union Silence

Workers who were laid off state that the factory management offered them severance and notice pay along with two months' wages, but allegedly "threatened" them that if they filed lawsuits for reinstatement, the process would be prolonged, and they would not be hired by any Koç Group companies in the future. During this period, Türk-Metal Union's office at the factory remained closed all day, and union representatives did not answer calls, leading to serious concerns among workers regarding union support. Workers report that there is intense job security anxiety pervading the factory.

The Contradiction Between Growth Figures and Layoffs

Arçelik, Beko's parent company, has recently emphasized its growth and global expansion in its public statements. On May 14, the company celebrated its 70th anniversary, boasting a 10.6 billion euro turnover and a goal to be "among the top 3 globally." Can Dinçer, Arçelik Türkiye General Manager, stated, "We have achieved our dreams over the years despite challenging conditions; now, we are moving forward with stronger steps together with our shareholders, dealers, business partners, and employees."

However, the dismissal of 150 workers just six days after these ambitious statements is striking. The company had previously announced in its 2024 investor presentations that 2,000 office workers would be laid off, and nearly 700 workers were dismissed in April 2025. Although Arçelik reported a net loss of 1.6 billion TL in the first quarter of 2025, its assertion of maintaining financial strength and sales, while citing "inefficient capacity utilization" as a reason for declining profitability, deepens the contradictions behind the layoffs. The company's boast of carrying out labor-intensive production in "countries where labor is cheap" like Turkey also draws criticism in this context.

Furthermore, Beko invested 400 million euros (approximately 14.7 billion TL) in 2024 to acquire Whirlpool's European home appliance division. This agreement transferred 9 production facilities and 39 affiliates in Italy, Poland, the UK, and Slovakia to Beko Europe.

Strong Reaction from EMEP: "Let's Say 'Enough!' to the Capitalist Order!"

Ceren Kökoğlu, the Eskişehir Provincial Head of the Labor Party (EMEP), issued a strong reaction to the layoffs. Kökoğlu criticized the weak internal organization of workers and the "yellow unions that have become the backyard of the government." Stating, "We are not condemned to this order of hunger and poverty, nor to these yellow unions. It is time to say 'Enough!' to the capitalist order," Kökoğlu called upon all the people, especially workers and laborers in Eskişehir, to unite in the struggle against hunger, poverty, and exploitation, demanding wages above the poverty line, secure jobs, and the reinstatement of dismissed workers.

These latest developments once again highlight the profound contradiction between Beko's global growth and investment strategies and the job security anxieties experienced by workers in Türkiye.

Source: evrensel.net | Photo: DHA