Employees at Fiat-maker in Turkey returning to work

BURSA

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Workers at Turkish carmaker Tofaş have ended a five-day strike, according to one of their representatives.

On May 22, the management at Tofaş and Ford Otosan, another car manufacturer affected by the labor action, had claimed production had restarted. However, workers remained picketing the plants.

Tofaş workers downed tools on May 18 in protest at pay and working conditions at the factory in Bursa, northwestern Turkey. The strike spread to the Ford Otosan plant in nearby Kocaeli province.

The workers also demanded the removal of the Turkish Metal Labor Union, which they claimed had acted against their interests.

Tofaş, which is partly owned by Italian auto giant Fiat, has around 6,500 employees and produces around 400,000 cars and vans annually.

Mehmet Altın, who was selected to represent the workers in the absence of a trade union, told Anadolu Agency an agreement had been reached on a pay rise.

Following three hours of talks with Tofaş Chief Executive Cengiz Eroldu, he said: "We asked the management that nobody should be laid off due to the strike and the promise was given to us."

Turkey's auto exports - the single largest contributor to overseas sales - increased to $22.3 billion last year, according the Turkish Exporters' Assembly TİM).