Birleşik Metal-İş General President Özkan Atar: "We Will Lead 160 Thousand Metal Workers"

Birleşik Metal-İş Union General President Özkan Atar, in his address at the General Representatives Council, called for a struggle against economic attacks, strike bans, and capital-favoring policies. Atar stated, "We will lead 160 thousand metal workers."

Birleşik Metal-İş Union General President Özkan Atar, in his comprehensive speech at the General Representatives Council, drew attention to both the global and Turkish political and economic landscape, emphasizing that 2025 will be a critical year for the labor struggle.

The council was attended by the union's central and branch executives, audit and disciplinary board members, and workplace representatives. In his speech, Atar sharply criticized the heavy economic burdens faced by the working class, the pressures on trade union rights, and the government's pro-capital policies.

Özkan Atar said, "The economic policies implemented under the Medium Term Program are dragging millions of laborers into poverty. Even the 30% increase in the minimum wage fell far behind official inflation. While all the burden is placed on workers and low-income earners, incentives to capital continue uninterrupted."

Referring to the collective bargaining process with MESS (Metal Employers' Association of Turkey), Atar stated, "Just as we succeeded in the past, we will succeed again. We will lead 160 thousand metal workers and secure our rights, no matter the cost."

Atar noted that in the 2024-2025 period, they achieved significant gains through strikes, resistances, and organizing activities in many workplaces where they are organized. Atar announced that the first collective agreements were signed in 15 new workplaces and 2,000 new members joined the union, stating, "This success is the product of collective solidarity."

Emphasizing the great importance they attach to trade union education, Atar reported that over 3,000 members participated in various training programs in the last year, and concrete investments such as a social facility in Gebze and a new branch building in Manisa are ongoing.

Atar concluded his speech by saluting workers in resistance in various regions of Turkey, delivering the following message: "Erlau, Accuride, Queen Tarım, Jantsa, municipal workers... Regardless of which union they are members of, we stand by all laborers fighting for their rights. We will continue to grow solidarity."

Underlining that the General Representatives Council will strengthen the struggle process, Atar said, "We will continue our path with a union approach that is data-driven, guided by common sense, and maintains our militant line."