Dikili municipality in İzmir province in western Turkey and the Public Services Employees Union of Turkey (Genel-İş), affiliated to the Revolutionary Confederation of Labor Unions (DİSK), reached an agreement at the collective bargaining process between them.  

According to the agreement, the workers will be on paid vacation on March 8, the International Women’s Day, on May 1, the Labor Day, and on June 15 and 16, the days of the famous Labor resistance in 1970, seen as the turning point in the Turkish labor movement. 

Mehmet Çınar, the head of  5^th branch of the union in İzmir said that the agreement stipulated a 25% increase in wages and the social benefits for the first year. In the second year, the inflation is increased 5 points, the dismissal pay, the termination pay and the other related articles about financial security were guaranteed.

The agreement that encompasses 55 workers was signed on May 30.

Genel-İş had succeeded previously in getting May 1 and March 8 days recognized as paid vacation periods by Bostaniçi, Van municipality during another collective bargaining process as well.

Özgüven: I believe the civil servants will organize, too

Dikili mayor Osman Özgüven said, “I cannot say that we gave union workers a wage increase reflecting today’s conditions”, adding that “our workers should know that they will get their labors worth only when they are organized. I believe that our civil servants too will organize soon and thus strengthen the world of unions in Turkey”. (TK/EZÖ/TB)