No agreement was reached in the metal industry collective agreement

In the metal industry, the union rejected the employer’s offer. A dispute report was filed and the mediation process began.

Group collective bargaining agreement negotiations, which began on September 26, 2023 between the Turkish Metal Union and the Metal Industry Employers’ Union (MESS), continued today at the MESS headquarters.

In the negotiations of the collective agreement, an agreement has been reached so far on a total of 54 articles and 1 regulation as an annex to the agreement. An agreement could not be reached on a total of 83 articles and 2 regulations that were annexes to the contract.

Among the articles on which agreement could not be reached, articles related to salary increases and monetary articles related to social rights were the main ones.

THE EMPLOYER’S OFFER WAS NOT ACCEPTED

MESS requested that the contract be for three years. In response to the union’s wage increase offer, MESS proposed a 35 percent increase in the CPI rate for the first 6 months and for the other 6-month periods. Regarding social rights, a 65 percent increase was proposed for the first year and an increase equal to the CPI rate for the second and third years.

When no agreement was reached in the negotiations, the Turkish Metal Union left the contract table and began the mediation process, preserving the conflict report.

TÜRK METAL STATEMENT

The Turkish Metal Union said the following in its statement on the issue:

“Türk Metal has done everything possible to finalize the contract on the table as required by the economic conditions at the time. However, given this sensitive and constructive approach of our Union, unfortunately our interlocutor, MESS, made an offer that Türk Metal could not accept at the session held today.

MESS first requested that the contract be for three years, and in response to our Union’s salary increase offer, proposed a 35 percent increase for the first 6 months and an increase in the CPI rate for the other 6 months. months. Regarding social rights, a 65 percent increase was proposed for the first year and an increase equal to the CPI for the second and third years.

MESS also requested that some flexible work modalities be included in the contract and that the clause regulating complementary health insurance be eliminated from the contract. Due to this intransigent attitude, the Turkish Metal Union left the contract table and began the mediation process while retaining the dispute report.

Our Union, aware that our country is going through an economic crisis, that life is becoming more expensive day by day due to the increase in inflation and that our people, especially wage earners, are going through financial difficulties, does not accept this offer which is considered suitable for the metalworkers in such a period and this approach aims to eliminate industrial peace.

Our union has clearly expressed its attitude against this. The Turkish Metal Union is determined not to harm the efforts of its members entrusted to our union and not to compromise labor rights and freedoms and rights and justice in working life.

“Turkish Metal will wait for the “mediation” process to be completed in accordance with the provisions of the law and will not hesitate to take democratic and legitimate measures at the end of this process if MESS’s uncompromising attitude and approach continues.”