January 14, 2006
Negotiations continue in the collective bargaining of 3,500 workers at the Goodyear-Pirelli and Brisa tire plants.

Bosses are attempting to repeat what they have always done by claiming “The high cost of wages” to offer no wage increase. After discussions of wage increases comes the grasping the rights of the workers. The previous discussions resulted in reducing the weekend from two days to one for the workers.

Immediately before the negotiations started, the Pirelli CEO Francesco Gori stated, “The cost of workers are too high, don’t expect an increase” to the press. But the workers say, “This is their usual tactics, they started threatening us. We do not want big raises. There are more important things than just wages like not to give up our rights.”

Same game every year

“If it is not cheap, then why is Hyundai opening plants in this country?” asked a Pirelli worker. He adds, “So, the high wages were not a problem before, but it just happened to appear right when the negotiations for collective bargaining started? They prepare and create calendar, but they hang warnings at the plant that the wages were too high. Then, two days later, exactly the same warning appeared in a large daily national paper Sabah for the Goodyear tire plant. That is only an excuse, what they really want is to get any and everything a worker has. I gave my life to this factory…”

Another tire worker said, “The work conditions are very hard, the wages should be commensurate. If the Pirelli CEO wants to pick a fight, he should go and fight with the government, not us. We saw this before. They talk about raises, but they took back other rights from us. What is important for us to get back our weekends…”

They want to eliminate seniority

Another Pirelli worker complained that the bosses really wanted to get rid of the seniority, “They want to make the wages of a new hired and an older worker preparing for his retirement the same. They will determine the wage for the first three years. The complaint of higher wages is an excuse. They say this every year and ask us not to ask for raises. Our gained rights are more important for us. The reasons behind all this are the policies of the JDP (the ruling, Justice and Development Party). That is why the JDP should go first.”

Workers had secured a plan called 2 to 6 which meant 2 days off for 6 days work. But the plant took back this plan and implemented a six day work and only 1 day off work week. The workers demand to get back the 2 to 6 schedule.

The Chairman of Lastik-İş, the union representing the workers, Abdullah Karacan, said there was agreement on 22 items on the table in the first round of talks, and added, “We know the collective bargaining will be a tough one. This process could go on for 3 to 5 months. But we expect to end this process at the table. We believe the management agrees on this. We are demonstrating our best intentions on not to disrupt the peaceful work environment. There are 57 items in our agenda. The high cost in the sector is not due to wages, but is caused by taxes and raw materials. These costs are high because of the policies of the government in the last 4-5 years, the high exchange rate of dollar.”

Next round of talks are scheduled for January 19th.

Source: from Evrensel, Nuray Öztürk

MB.