Strike Begins at Accell Bisiklet: Workers Fight Against Poverty Wages and Layoffs

Manisa, Turkey – Workers who are members of the Birleşik Metal-İş Union at Accell Bisiklet, a factory operating in the Manisa Organized Industrial Zone (OSB), have commenced a strike today, July 11, 2025. This action comes after the rejection of their collective bargaining demands and recent layoffs. A "STRIKE" banner was hung in front of the factory early this morning, production was halted, and a strike area was established.

The union announced that the strike decision was made due to the employer's uncompromising stance during the second term of collective bargaining negotiations and the imposition of unacceptably low wage offers.

Long-Standing Negotiations and Recent Acquisition Fueling Conflict

Birleşik Metal-İş successfully organized at Accell Bisiklet in 2022, leading to the successful conclusion of the first collective bargaining agreement. However, negotiations for the second term, which began on January 27, 2025, ended in a dispute on March 27. Despite a mediation process, no agreement could be reached. Although the mediator's report reached both parties on May 16, the employer's subsequent offer failed to meet the workers' demands.

A significant development during this period further escalated tensions: the acquisition of Accell Bisiklet by Bisan Bisiklet, part of the local Nahita Holding, from the American investment firm KKR & Co. This acquisition received approval from the Competition Authority on June 19, 2025. Immediately after the handover, the new employer announced plans for downsizing, stating that over 100 employees, including Birleşik Metal-İş members, would be laid off, citing export requirements.

Union: "Our Labor Cannot Be Punished"

In a statement, the union voiced its strong opposition to these developments: "Accell Bisiklet workers are the laborers who have, for years, fueled production and contributed to exports at this factory. The company's acquisition cannot mean disregarding workers' rights and their future. The attractiveness of this workplace was made possible by the sweat of our members. Now, this labor is being punished."

The union emphasized that the strike decision became inevitable to protect both their collective bargaining rights and job security at the workplace. The workers' demands are clear: an acceptable level of wages and social benefits, and an immediate halt to the layoffs.

Solidarity and a Call for Justice

The Birleşik Metal-İş General Executive Board announced the strike with a resolute message: "We resorted to the strike as a last resort. We will fight until we get our rights. We will use our right to strike in the strongest way. We will get what is ours, we will win!"

In a show of inter-union solidarity, representatives and branch executives of Birleşik Metal-İş will visit Petrol-İş members on strike at Gübretaş in Kocaeli today at 12:00 PM, marking the 9th day of their strike.

Özkan Atar, Deputy Chairman of DİSK (Confederation of Revolutionary Trade Unions of Turkey) and General Chairman of Birleşik Metal-İş, also issued a powerful statement, emphasizing: "Against the imposition of misery and poverty by capital and the complicit government, we will resist with the unity and organized strength of the working class. Our working class will be the winner."

The Accell Bisiklet strike stands out as a new example of the organized struggle of the Turkish working class against high inflation and job insecurity, highlighting the ongoing challenges faced by employees in vital industrial sectors.