Cable factory workers continue strike in Kocaeli

In the Gebze Organized Industrial Zone in Kocaeli, workers who are members of DİSK/Lastik-İş union and employed at Corning Kablo have been on strike since July 14, demanding "decent wages."

Kezban Konukçu, a Green Left Party MP, has submitted a parliamentary question regarding the strike of Corning Kablo workers.

Konukçu pointed out that the workers' rights violations persist even during their strike, citing Constitutional Court precedents, which state that "taking measures to ensure that employees live decently and that work life proceeds with determination is within the goals of a social state."

Konukçu directed the following questions to the Minister of Labor and Social Security, Vedat Işıkhan:

1. Are you aware of the strike actions initiated by DİSK Lastik-İş member Corning Kablo workers at the factory located in Gebze Organized Industrial Zone (GOSB) Tembelova as of July 14, 2023, in their struggle to assert their rights?

2. Poverty, current inflation, and increasing cost of living have become critical problems in Turkey. Are there any considerations for taking specific measures to protect the rights of workers who have been subjected to rights violations by employers?

3. Corning Kablo workers, who have expressed that they are barely making ends meet with their current wages, are demanding a 105% wage increase. Is there any effort by your ministry to address their demands?

What Happened?

DİSK/Lastik-İş, the union organized at Corning Kablo, demanded a 105% wage increase on behalf of the workers during collective labor agreement negotiations that began in February, while the employer offered a 60% wage increase.

Due to the failure to reach an agreement between the union and the employer during negotiations, and following the process taken to a mediator, a strike decision was made on June 2.

Corning Kablo workers, who began their strike on July 14 in front of the factory, are demanding an increase in their wages, which are currently at the minimum wage level (11,402 Turkish lira). (VC/VK)