The strike decisions taken by the unions of the companies Bekaert Izmit Çelik Kord Sanayi AŞ and Bekaert Kartepe Çelik Kord Sanayi AŞ in Koaceli, covering approximately 1,000 workers, have been postponed for 60 days.

Pursuant to the President’s decision published in today’s issue of the Official Gazette, the strike decisions taken by the United Metal-İş Union at the workplace of Bekaert İzmit Çelik Kord Sanayi AŞ and by the Özçelik-İş Union at the workplace belonging to Bekaert Kartepe Çelik Kord Sanayi AŞ, disrupting national security. It was decided to postpone it for 60 days.

UNION EXPLANATION

In the statement made by the United Metal İş union on the subject, the president once again made his choice in favor of capital. He banned the strike of the Bekaert workers in Kocaeli. The workers will not recognize this illegal strike prohibition and will start their legal strike at 1:00 p.m. making use of the right granted to them by the Constitution and internationally accepted laws.

HOW IS THE STRIKE DELAYED?

In accordance with the Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Strike and Lockout Act, if a legal strike or lockout that has been decided or initiated is detrimental to general health or national security, the strike may be postponed for 60 days per presidential decree.

However, according to the law, postponed strikes cannot be restarted after the 60-day postponement period. If the parties cannot reach an agreement within the postponement period, the dispute is resolved by the Supreme Board of Arbitration (YHK). Therefore, the postponement of the strike means a de facto strike ban.

During the AKP period, 17 strikes were postponed for similar reasons. With the postponed strikes at Bekaert İzmit Çelik Kord Industry and Bekaert Kartepe Çelik Kord Industry, this number has reached 19. Furthermore, the number of workers whose strikes were postponed during the AKP period is around 195 thousand.

PREFERRED STRIKE

Previously postponed strikes during the AKP period are as follows:

– 2003: Petlas AS (Oil Es)
– 2003: Şişecam (Crystal Business)
– 2004: Şişecam (Crystal Business)
– 2004: Prielli, Good year, Brisa (Rubber work)
– 2005: Erdemir Madencilik (T.Madenİş)
– 2014: Şişecam (Crystal Business)
– 2014: Çayırhan and Çöllolar Coal Process. (T. Mining Business)
– 2015: Collective Bargaining Agreement of the MESS Group (United Metal Is)
– 2017: Asil Çelik (United Metal Business)
– 2017: Emis Group (United Metallurgical Business)
– 2017: Akbank (Banksis)
– 2017: Şişecam (Crystal Business)
– 2017: Meraf İlaç (Oil Business)
– 2018: MESS Group (United Metal Is, Türk Metal, Çelik Is)
– 2018: Soda Kroman-Şişecam (Kristal İş)
– 2019: Izban (Demiryol Business)
– 2020: Soda Sanayi AŞ (Oil)