Workers at Togg factory stage work stoppage over unpaid wages
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Workers at the Bursa factory site of Togg, Turkey's homegrown electric car manufacturer, staged a work stoppage, stating that they have not received their wages for the past two months.
The Construction and Building Workers Union announced the action on Twitter, asserting, "We will continue our work stoppage until our rights, which have been seized, are granted. We are not confined to this system."
The protesting workers are employed by Anel Elektrik and Sinay Enerji, subcontractors of Yapı Merkezi, the construction company overseeing the factory project in Gemlik, Bursa.
Togg, Turkey's first domestically produced electric vehicle, is a project proudly supported by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's government. The vehicle was unveiled last year, at the Republic Day celebration on October 29, in a ceremony attended by the president.
During the campaign for the May elections, Erdoğan frequently used Togg as part of his campaign, alongside armed drones, Turkey's domestically produced "drone carrier" ship, and other military equipment.
Although some Togg cars have already been delivered to customers and have received significant media attention, the Gemlik factory is not yet operating at full capacity. In May, Togg's CEO, Mehmet Gürcan Karakaş, stated that the factory was producing 80 cars per day.
İnşaat İşçisi Grevde:
— İnşaat-İş Sendikası (@insaatsendika) August 3, 2023
TOGG fabrika şantiyesinde yüklenici Yapı Merkezi firmasının teşeronu Anel Elektrik ve Sinay Enerji bünyesinde çalışan İYİ-SEN üyesi işçiler iki aydır ücretlerini alamıyordu. İşçiler alacakları için greve çıktılar. pic.twitter.com/71sOb1yzxy
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