Disagreement Reached in MESS's Individual Collective Bargaining Negotiations
Foreks - Arıtaş Kriyojenik A.Ş., a member of the Turkish Metal Industrialists’ Union (MESS), along with Grid Solutions A.Ş., Hitachi Energy A.Ş., and Schneider Electric A.Ş., has seen continued individual collective bargaining negotiations, during which employers have taken a significant step towards compromise by revising their offer for the third time; however, no agreement has been reached.
In the ongoing individual collective bargaining negotiations for MESS member workplaces, the initial wage increase proposal for the first six months, effective from September 1, 2024, was revised on November 22, 2024, to 36.5%, in response to an inflation rate of 18.3%. This proposal was not accepted by the authorized union, Birleşik Metal-İş, leading to a strike decision at Hitachi Energy A.Ş., effective December 4. For the aforementioned workplaces, the average wage increase for the first six months was later revised again to 40% as of December 2, 2024, surpassing even double the relevant period's inflation. Nonetheless, this new offer was also not accepted by the union. In this context, strike decisions are expected to be made in the other three companies in the coming days.
In a statement from MESS, it was mentioned: “For the first six months effective from September 1, 2024, a wage increase proposal of 40% was offered, which is significantly higher than double the inflation rate of 18.3%. Unfortunately, this offer and step towards reconciliation have not received a favorable response. Strike decisions have begun to be established. As a result of demands that do not align with the realities of our industry and our members, companies in the metal industry are facing the risk of losing their competitiveness on an international platform.
With the last proposal made for our four members in the past two years, the wage increase level has now exceeded double the inflation rate. As of today, the earnings of our colleagues have reached 3.5 times the gross minimum wage. With the proposal, the average earnings now stand at a gross level of 73,000 TL. In addition to salaries and bonuses at our member workplaces, numerous additional social rights are provided, such as health insurance, fuel assistance, Eid al-Adha and Ramadan holiday allowances, annual leave compensation, food packages, severance pay, postal employee compensation, night work compensation, shift premium, overtime days beyond legal limits, production bonuses, attendance bonuses, and scholarship opportunities for children studying at vocational high schools.
During the contract process, a wage increase demand of approximately 126% has been requested for a six-month inflation period corresponding to 18.3%. This increase demand is nearly seven times the inflation rate. Considering additional demands beyond wages, the total one-year increase request reaches around 250%. It is impossible for businesses to meet demands at such levels, which could lead to serious losses in the manufacturing industry. In this context, we invite the relevant parties to come together on a common ground, preserving the integrity of the worker-employer relationship. MESS will continue to strive to complete the collective bargaining negotiations for our four members at the negotiation table while maintaining our conciliatory approach.”