Metal workers’ strike postponed by cabinet decision over ‘national security concerns’

Hacer Boyacıoğlu – ANKARA

A planned strike by metal workers and its accompanying lockout move by their bosses have been postponed by a cabinet decision over “national security concerns” ahead of scheduled talks between the labor unions and the employer union.

Through the cabinet decision, which was released on Official Gazette on Jan. 26, the planned strike and lockout was postponed for a 60-day period.

Three Turkish labor unions, which represent more than 130,000 workers in the automotive, white goods and iron-steel sectors, announced the strike, which was set to start on Feb. 2.

The strike comes after the unions failed to agree on a collective labor contract with the employer association, the Metal Industrialists Union (MESS).

The metal worker unions, the Turkish Metal Union (Türk Metal), the United Metal Workers’ Union (Birleşik Metal-İş) and the Iron, Steel, Metal and Metallic Products Workers’ Union (Çelik-İş) announced their strike decision on Jan. 22.

They said the talks, which began in September 2017, had failed to result in a solid agreement.

Negotiations to clinch a collective labor deal are still underway between the parties.