Employees at the Türkiye bureau of the Reuters news agency and Journalists’ Union of Türkiye (TGS) have announced a possible strike on May 10 amid disputes over the salary hikes determined by the agency, reported Demirören News Agency (DHA) on Wednesday.
As per reports, employees and union members gathered in front of the agency building in Istanbul’s Levent neighborhood on Wednesday to protest the salary hike of 25% proposed by the news agency.
Annual inflation in Türkiye came in at 50.5% in March. Although it remains high, it marks a notable regress compared to around 85.5% in October 2022, a 24-year peak.
In a statement, Gökhan Durmuş, the president of the TGS, said the wage increase deemed appropriate by Reuters at the Türkiye bureau stands at 25%.
"Despite all efforts and intentions during collective negotiations initiated in January, we, unfortunately, did not witness a positive reciprocation despite conveying Türkiye's current economic situation,” Durmuş said.
“Not even a point over the 25% increase was added. Today, we are here not only declaring our strike but also determination for our cause. If our members do not receive an offer of wage hikes they deserve, and if we do not see a positive step from the Reuters administration toward solving the issue, we hereby announce in public that we will commence with the strike on May 10,” the statement read.
