Sanitation workers in the provinces of Kartal, Ataşehir, Maltepe and Kadıköy in Istanbul who are members of the Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Türkiye (DISK)-affiliated Genel-Iş Union have initiated a strike after rejecting a collective bargaining agreement. This action has caused disruptions in sanitation services across these districts.
The strike continued as municipal workers in these four districts did not achieve the desired outcome in negotiations between their unions and the municipality regarding the collective labor agreement.
Following a joint statement from the four branches of the union in Istanbul, which announced their decision to strike indefinitely starting Monday morning, disruptions to municipal services were reported in Kartal, Ataşehir, Maltepe and Kadıköy. In several neighborhoods, trash bins overflowed, and piles of garbage accumulated around them due to the workers' strike.
Residents and local business owners in Kartal, expressing dissatisfaction with the situation, have taken it upon themselves to clean up their neighborhood markets while insisting that the rights of the workers must be respected.
Additionally, after the four districts, members of the Hizmet-Iş Union working in Beykoz Municipality have also decided to go on strike. Following unsuccessful negotiations between the Social Democratic Public Employers Union (SODEMSEN) and Hizmet-Iş Union regarding the collective labor agreement, Hizmet-Iş Union's General Management Board announced that they would begin their strike on Friday, Nov. 8.
While the workers' strike continues in Kartal Municipality, the Genel-Iş Union announced that the collective labor agreement had not been reached, prompting the union's four branches in Istanbul to declare an indefinite strike in front of the Kartal Municipality building yesterday evening. Özer Ersan Değirmenci, president of the Genel-İş Istanbul Anatolian Side Branch 3, stated that they do not accept the agreement signed between the CHP General Center and the Genel-İş Union General Center, emphasizing: "We prepared this agreement with the workers, and we will sign it. To prevent our will from being undermined, we will be here with our organized strength until a new negotiation table is set up, starting this morning, Nov. 4. The workers from all four municipalities, Kadıköy, Kartal, Maltepe and Ataşehir, are here, and our friends’ support is solid."
