Mine workers’ strike postponed amid wage dispute

ANKARA

A presidential decree published in the Official Gazette has issued a 60-day postponement for a planned strike by Turkish mine workers over stalled wage negotiations.

The decree, issued by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, cited concerns over national security as the reason for the delay of the strike.

The decision impacts workers at key boron mining facilities operated by state-owned Eti Maden in the capital Ankara, the northwestern city of Balıkesir, the central province of Eskişehir and the western province of Kütahya.

The Turkish Mine Workers’ Union planned to begin walkouts on Aug. 1 after the breakdown of collective bargaining talks covering over 600,000 public sector employees.

The government’s final offer included a 24 percent raise for the first half of 2025, followed by 11 percent for the second half. For 2026, proposed increases were 10 percent and 6 percent for the two respective halves.

Türk-İŞ, the country’s largest labor confederation, rejected the proposal and moved ahead with strike preparations.

Türk-İŞ President Ergün Atalay characterized the strike as a measure of last resort, emphasizing that unions never saw it as a goal but rather a means to an end. Speaking after the union’s executive board meeting, he noted that labor representatives held seven rounds of talks and waited over 200 days in hopes of reaching a deal.

Under Turkish labor law, strikes can be legally postponed for 60 days if they are deemed to threaten public health or national security.

Once postponed, a strike cannot legally resume. If no agreement is reached within the 60-day period, the dispute is referred to the High Arbitration Board, which delivers a binding decision.

Meanwhile, public sector dentists announced a two-day strike on July 31 and Aug. 1 to protest what they describe as worsening working conditions, low pay and unresolved professional issues.