123-day strike ends at Istanbul Italian high school

ISTANBUL

A 123-day teachers’ strike at the Istanbul Private Italian High School (Liceo Italiano di Istanbul) has come to an end after union representatives and school management finalized an agreement, allowing educators to return to their classrooms.

Teachers were expected to resume lessons on June 4 noon, the legally designated end of the strike.

The walkout, which lasted nearly four months, stemmed from disputes over working conditions, employment rights and pay disparities between Turkish and Italian teachers. While the final agreement did not fully meet all of the teachers’ demands, union representatives described it as a significant step forward.

Literature teacher Fırat Aydın said the union and school management had already reached a broad consensus on key issues, but that the agreement required formal legal guarantees before the strike could end. Following negotiations involving ministry officials and legal representatives, the parties signed a contract with legal validity.

“Not all of our demands were met in full,” Aydın said. “Our salaries increased, but they were not brought to the same level as those of Italian teachers. Nevertheless, our working conditions improved considerably.”

Previously, some Turkish teachers worked under 40-hour contracts, while others were employed under 18-hour arrangements. The new agreement standardizes those conditions, creating a more equitable distribution of workload and responsibilities.