Turkish car maker Tofaş announces details of concessions to protesting workers

Production activities resumed in Tofaş, a joint venture of Italy’s Fiat and Turkey’s Koç Holding, as of May 22 after a week of labor protests. 

“We are happy, as the labor protests ended in a peaceful manner and the production activities have started again... Upon the reconciliation with our workers, we have decided not to start any legal action against any of our workers and not to fire any union member workers. We’ll also make a detailed plan to make an additional financial contribution for our workers. We’ll mobilize some 1,000 Turkish Liras of additional financial contribution to each worker until the end of this month and the details of other contributions will be defined by the end of the next month. Our company will be updating you,” the company said in its May 23 statement. 

The protesting workers had complained about the inefficient representation of their unions and wanted better wages and working conditions. A majority of the workers resigned from their labor union. 

In addition to Tofaş, the production in Ford Otosan and several auto part makers, including Coşkunöz and Mako, started again at the end of last week. 

The Turkish arm of French carmaker Renault on May 23 offered concessions including a cash lump sum to striking workers if they returned to work, but the workers rejected the offer and announced they will continue their labor action.

The workers said they were ready to accept the company’s initial offer, but Renault’s employer union, the Metal Industrialists’ Union of Turkey (MESS), made revisions to the deal that were rejected by the workers on the grounds that it would not benefit employees.