Critical Agenda for Metalworkers' Fate: New Developments in Türk Metal-MESS Collective Bargaining Talks

Fourth Round of Negotiations Concludes: 51 Articles Agreed Upon

The fourth meeting of the 2025-2027 Group Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) negotiations between the Türk Metal Union and the Turkish Metal Industrialists’ Union (MESS) was held today (November 26, 2025) at the MESS Headquarters in Istanbul. The talks, which directly concern the future of the metalworkers and the union, focused on 15 main articles and the Internal Regulation.

Following comprehensive negotiations, 7 articles and the Internal Regulation were accepted as per the Türk Metal Union’s proposal and officially recorded. This brings the total number of articles agreed upon since the start of negotiations on October 13, 2025, to 51.

Key Accepted Articles (As Per Türk Metal’s Proposal):

• Article 60 Recruitment

• Article 71 Mass Layoffs

• Article 76 Gender Equality

• Article 77 Ending Violence and Harassment in the World of Work

• Additional Article 2 Unionization

• Additional Article 4 MİDS Update Commission

• Additional Article 7 Sharing of Personal Data

• Internal Regulation

The acceptance of articles related to social rights, particularly Gender Equality and Ending Violence and Harassment in the Workplace, underscores Türk Metal’s determination to raise its members’ social living standards.

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🛑 MESS Presents Critical Counter-Proposals Threatening Workers’ Acquired Rights

The most crucial part of the meeting involved the counter-proposals put forward by the employer (MESS), which directly challenged existing workers' rights and working conditions. The Türk Metal delegation categorically rejected these proposals, which were deemed detrimental to the workers, and postponed the relevant articles.

The key articles MESS sought to change or remove are as follows:

Article No	MESS Counter-Proposal (Against Workers)	Union Stance
Article 25 (Working Hours)	Extension of the equalization period to 4 months; allowing compensatory work for time off due to holidays, leave, or work stoppages.	Rejected by Türk Metal.
Article 34 (Female Workers)	Removal of the provision allowing female workers to consolidate the daily 1.5-hour nursing leave into one full day per week.	Rejected by Türk Metal.
Article 61 (Probationary Period)	Demand to extend the probationary period from the current 2 months to 4 months.	Rejected by Türk Metal.
Article 58 (Social Insurance)	Removal of the provision requiring the employer to pay the wages for the first 2 days of sick leave not covered by the Social Security Institution (SGK).	Rejected by Türk Metal.
Article 57 (Light Duties)	Proposal that a worker who rejects the proposed light duties be deemed to have terminated their employment contract for health reasons themselves.	Rejected by Türk Metal.

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❌ Rejection of Companion Leave and Next Steps

One of the Union's social rights demands, the 1-day companion leave under Article 33 (Other Paid Leave), was rejected by MESS, and the article was postponed. The Türk Metal delegation stated they would not abandon this vital social right and would bring the matter up again in future negotiations.

MESS also requested the postponement of Article 75 (Miscellaneous Provisions) and Article 78 (Payments) for later evaluation.

The parties agreed to hold the next critical meeting on Monday, December 8, 2025, at 10:00 AM at the MESS Headquarters. Türk Metal Union announced that it would continue to transparently communicate all developments in the process to its members.