Workers go on strike at Renault in Turkey over layoffs
BURSA - Doğan News Agency
DHA Photo
Workers at the French car giant Renault’s factory in the northwestern Turkish province of Bursa went on strike on March 1, after 10 of their colleagues were laid off.Some 150 workers at Oyak Renault, a joint venture between Renault and the Turkish army pension fund Oyak, arrived at the factory on the morning on March 1 but did not start working.
Other workers amassed in front of the factory and tried to close the road linking Bursa to Mudanya, a nearby district.
The production line had been halted on Feb. 28 after the administration’s decision to fire the workers. It was expected to resume early on March 1, but the striking workers decided not to restart work yet.
Police officers intervened into the attempt to block the road and used tear gas to disperse the crowd. Seven workers were detained.
Meanwhile, 12 more workers were laid off later in the day on March 1 on grounds of attending the protests to block the road, the company said in a statement as reported by state-run Anadolu Agency.
Nine workers, who were detained during the protests were also released.
