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9 March, 2009
A strike by 190 Turkish paperworkers, members of ICEM affiliate Tümka-İş, against Procter & Gamble is now 16 days old, with little progress made in recent negotiations. The wage dispute began 21 February at a factory in Gebze, just outside of Istanbul, where the American company manufactures paper towels, tissue, and hygiene products, including nappies.
Strikers and supporters held a rally at plant gates on 26 February, where messages of support were read from a number of trade unions from around the world. The ICEM, which generated the support, also lodged a protest with Turkish management of the company. That letter can be found here.
On the day of the manifestation, managers revised upward their wage offer, but not significantly. They also told leaders of Tümka-İş they were content to allow paper products once marketed from the Gebze plant to originate from expanded Procter & Gamble operations in Poland.
Gebze Manifestation, 26 February
A prior two-year labour agreement expired on 31 August 2008.
The wage revision proposal 11 days ago saw the company move its offer from no increase to 2% for the first six months, followed by three increases, separated in six-month segments, of two-thirds the rate of Turkish inflation. The union is seeking an 8% increase for the first six months, and revised its proposal for the remaining three periods to match Turkey’s inflation rate.
Tümka-İş General President Kemal Yilmaz and Ergün Tavşanoğlu, a union Executive Committee member who is the central Tümka-İş leader at the Procter & Gamble plant, expressed gratitude to the family of ICEM trade unions in the Paper and Packaging sector who extended their support at the outset of the strike.