We will not walk away and leave our hard-earned wages to this system

Workers across the country entered the holiday with resistance: We will not walk away and leave our hard-earned wages to this system

IT WILL NOT END UNTIL PROMISES ARE KEPT

For the workers of Doruk Mining, who unionised under Independent Miners’ Union on 12 April to launch a resistance for their severance pay and usurped wage rights, and subsequently carried their resistance to Ankara under the leadership of the union, not all rights and receivables have been paid—despite receiving a promise from the employer under the guarantorship of the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Labour, and the Ministry of Energy. Some of the workers entered this holiday with empty pockets, just as they have done since 2022. While Bağımsız Maden-İş stated that if the promised payments are not made by 1 June, they will resume the resistance and take themselves to Ankara, one of the workers, Sinan Kaçak, summarised the process as follows:

“As is known, all of our demands were accepted at the meeting attended by Ministry officials, the Independent Miners’ Union, worker representatives, and the employer himself, Sabahattin Yıldız, along with the CEO Ali Vahit Atıcı. On that day, some payment items were partially paid, and the severance pay of approximately 20 people was deposited. Ministry officials acted as guarantors, saying, ‘We are giving until 15 May; if it is not paid by that date, we will do what is necessary. Our word is our bond.’ Trusting the word of the ministries, we decided to terminate the resistance and ended our protest.

However, as of last Monday, following the agreement between the worker and the employer, although the termination procedures were carried out with a mutual termination agreement so that our colleagues on unpaid leave could receive their severance pay, no payment was made either on Monday or the following day.

The payments of many of our colleagues who are still working have not yet been realised across many items, such as missing wages, severance pay, annual leave, unpaid leave periods, and collective bargaining agreement receivables. For this reason, as a result of the consultations we held with our union, we decided to resume the resistance after the holiday, on 1 June.

In short, the yellow union and the employer had already always deceived the Doruk Maden workers, causing a victimization that has lasted for years. This holiday, despite the promises made by three important ministries of our country, the workers and their families are spending a bittersweet holiday in disappointment once again.

I would like to remind all my fellow labourers not to be afraid of seeking their rights, never to give up the struggle, and not to leave even a single penny—which is the reward of labour and hard work—to this system that exploits the worker. It is not possible to achieve results through struggling alone; strength rises from unity. With these sentiments, I congratulate everyone on their holiday and wish you a happy holiday.”

WE ARE TRYING TO SURVIVE ON DEBTS

The workers of Özşen Mining, who have been unable to receive their overtime pay for approximately a year and their wages for three months, have been trying to make their voices heard for days. One of the workers, Mesut Özdemir, spoke with a hoarse voice after the march they organised in Keşan for their demands. Stating that he took place at the very front of the march, Özdemir said, “We shouted to make what has been done to us known to the public. Everyone must hear this treatment deemed fit for the worker and the labourer. The entire working class must raise its voice against injustices.” Explaining that he had to spend the holiday away from his family due to economic difficulties, Özdemir stated that they had not received their wages for three months and said: “I live in Keşan; my mother and father are in Zonguldak. We are a family with two children. The travel expense alone to go to my hometown for the holiday is at least 12,000 liras. We haven’t received wages for three months, and our overtime has not been paid either. We are trying to survive on debts. The landlord asks for the rent, and the bills are piling up.” Expressing that his children ask him every day whether he has received his wage or not, Özdemir said, “We have become unable to look our children in the face.” Emphasising that they will not take a step back from the resistance, Özdemir stated that their primary demand is the reinstatement of the 21 dismissed workers, adding, “Even if the payments are made, we will not give up this struggle until our friends return to work.”

OUR 4TH HOLIDAY SPENT IN RESISTANCE

Rümeysa Kişi, one of the workers dismissed from Digel Textiles on the grounds that they had joined the union, said that their struggle continues not just for the demand to return to work, but for decent working conditions. Kişi stated, “After joining the Teksif (Textile, Knitting and Clothing Industry Workers’ Union of Turkey), 15 workers were dismissed unfairly and unlawfully. We have been continuing our resistance in front of the Aegean Free Zone for approximately 500 days. This struggle is being waged not only to get back to work, but for a wage to live decently and secure working conditions.” Stating that they entered their fourth holiday in resistance, Kişi said that recent decisions coming from the judiciary gave them morale. Kişi said, “The Court of Cassation accepted that the Teksif Union is the authorised union at the factory. Positive decisions have also started to come out in reinstatement and union compensation lawsuits. We have started to get the results of our struggle.” Calling for solidarity from all workers, Kişi said, “As Digel Textiles workers, we know that we will win by resisting, by resisting.”

OUR CHILDREN ARE GROWING UP IN THE STRIKE TENT

Sinem Kaya, one of the workers of Temel Conta who has not left the strike tent for 535 days in the İzmir Free Zone, said that although trade union rights are under constitutional guarantee, they are not implemented. Kaya said, “We have been keeping watch for 535 days for our union right, which is our constitutional right. The boss did not recognise our union, did not sign the collective bargaining agreement, and broke the strike. Despite this, he faced no sanctions whatsoever. Workers seeking their rights, however, are left facing detentions and investigations.” Stating that their struggle is not limited only to their own workplace, Kaya said: “This is not just the problem of Temel Gasket workers, but the problem of all workers. If the prevention of the union right here is condoned, other bosses will resort to the same method. Therefore, we do not want to lose.” Explaining that they made great sacrifices during the resistance, Kaya used the expressions: “We are spending our second Eid al-Adha in the strike tent. We cannot buy holiday clothes for our children, and we cannot sacrifice an animal. Our children are growing up not in playgrounds, but in the strike tent. We do not want a favour; we want our right. We are in the right, and we will win.”

RIGHTS ARE OBTAINED THROUGH STRUGGLE

As a result of a dispute arising from the Collective Bargaining Agreement process that has been ongoing for 5 months at the Procter & Gamble detergent factory operating in Gebze, the workers went on strike on 12 May and halted production. Welcoming the holiday in the resistance tent, Ceyhun Kara, who is the chief representative among the workers, stated that at the point reached, they achieved great gains by fighting for the Collective Bargaining Agreement, and that they will continue the struggle they are giving for their vested rights. Speaking on behalf of his 75 colleagues on strike, Kaya addressed the working class, saying: “We went on strike on 12 May. As soon as the strike began, the employer cancelled the private health insurances of us and our families. He did not allow us to use the toilets. The employer engaged in strike-breaking by starting to import products from the Czech Republic. However, these will not deter us. The working class must now move out of this culture of allegiance. Rights are not obtained without a struggle. Our morale is high, and our solidarity increases day by day. The struggle for rights in Turkey must now move to another dimension.”

Note: This article is translated from the original article titled İşçiler ülkenin dört bir yanında bayrama direnişle girdi: Alın terimizi bu düzene bırakıp gitmeyeceğiz, published in BirGün newspaper on May 28, 2026.