August 2025 Wildcat Strike Report

In August 2025, wildcat strikes took place in various sectors and cities. Municipalities saw the highest number of strikes, with four strikes in total: two involving public employees subject to the Civil Servants Law No. 657 and two involving workers subject to the Labor Law No. 4857.

The general strike by public employees on August 18 will not be considered with other strikes that took place in August because it covered many cities and workplaces and it was not possible to determine exactly how many workplaces were on strike. Information about the strike will be provided in the relevant section of the report.

According to data we were able to obtain by scanning press and social media channels and through one-on-one interviews, apart from the general strike by public sector workers, wildcat strikes took place at 14 workplaces in 10 cities, including;

• 2 workplaces in the Municipal Services sector in Istanbul and Izmir,
• 2 workplaces in Local Administration Services (Public) sector in Manisa and Izmir,
• 2 workplaces in Accommodation and Entertainment Services sector in Aydın and Antalya,
• 1 workplace in Health and Social Services (Public) sector in Kocaeli,
• 1 workplace in Metal sector in Samsun,
• 1 workplace in Hunting, Fishing, Agriculture and Forestry sector in İstanbul,
• 1 workplace in Energy Industry sector in Urfa,
• 1 workplace in Energy, Industry and Mining Services (Public) sector in Samsun,
• 1 workplace in Transportation Services (Public) sector in İstanbul
• 1 workplace in Shipbuilding, Maritime Transport and Warehousing sector in Bursa,
• 1 workplace in Weaving, Garment and Leather sector in Tokat.

The distribution of strikes by city is as follows: İstanbul (3), İzmir (2), Samsun (2), Manisa (1), Kocaeli (1), Aydın (1), Antalya (1), Urfa (1), Bursa (1), Tokat (1).

In August 2025, only one workplace in the Metal sector achieved a successful strike. On the other hand, strikes at 9 workplaces including 2 in Municipal Services, 2 in Local Government Services (Public), 1 in Health and Social Services (Public), 1 in Energy, 1 in Energy-Industry-Mining, 1 in Transportation, and 1 in Shipbuilding ended without any achievement. No information was obtained about how and when the strikes ended at 4 workplaces including 2 in the Accommodation and Entertainment sector, 1 in the Hunting, Fishing, Agriculture, and Forestry sector, and 1 in the Weaving, Garment and Leather sector.

1.Municipal Services

1.1.Karabağlar Municipality

Sector: Municipal Services

Start Date: 07.08.2025

End Date: 07.08.2025

City: İzmir

Result: No Goals Achieved

Workers employed by the Karabağlar Municipality in Izmir staged a one-day wildcat strike, claiming that some of their wages had not been paid for approximately five months.

1.2.Kartal Municipality

Sector: Municipal Services

Start Date: 25.08.2025

End Date: 25.08.2025

City: İstanbul

Result: No Goals Achieved

Kartal Municipality workers staged a half-day wildcat strike on August 25, 2025, due to months of unpaid wages and the underpayment of July wages.

2.Local Administration Services (Public)

2.1.Yunusemre Municipality

Sector: Local Administration Services (Public)

Start Date: 08.08.2025

End Date: 08.08.2025

City: Manisa

Result: No Goals Achieved

Civil servants working at Yunusemre Municipality staged a one-day wildcat strike on August 8, 2025, due to the unlawful obstruction of their social balance compensation rights and the municipal administration's deliberate failure to advance the process.

2.2.Konak Municipality

Sector: Local Administration Services (Public)

Start Date: 25.08.2025

End Date: 25.08.2025

City: İzmir

Result: No Goals Achieved

Public workers employed by Konak Municipality staged a one-day wildcat strike on August 25, 2025, due to unpaid Social Balance Compensation (SDT) and bonuses.

3.Accommodation and Entertainment Services

3.1.VAV Otel

Sector: Accommodation and Entertainment Services

Start Date: 22.08.2025

End Date: No Information

City: Aydın

Result: No Information

Workers at the VAV Hotel in Kuşadası, Aydın, started a wildcat strike on August 22, 2025, because they hadn't been paid for two months. There's no information in the press or on social media about when and how the strike ended.

3.2.Side Win Otel

Sector: Accommodation and Entertainment Services

Start Date: 26.08.2025

End Date: No Information

City: Antalya

Result: No Information

Workers at Side Win Hotel in Evrenseki Mahallesi, Manavgat district of Antalya started wildcat strike on August 26 because they haven't been paid for about 45 days. There's no info in the press or social media about when and how the strike ended.

4.Health and Social Services (Public)

4.1.Kocaeli University Faculty of Medicine Hospital

Sector: Health and Social Services (Public)

Start Date: 21.08.2025

End Date: 21.08.2025

City: Kocaeli

Result: No Goals Achieved

Following the assault of an orthopedic doctor and medical secretary by a patient and their relative at Kocaeli University Medical Faculty Hospital, a wildcat strike was carried out in five outpatient clinics in the morning of August 21, 2025.

5.Metal

5.1.Sampa Automotive

Sector: Metal

Start Date: 31.07.2025

End Date: 03.08.2025

City: Samsun

Result: Goals Achieved

Workers at Sampa Automotive, located in the Samsun Organized Industrial Zone, started a wildcat strike on July 31, 2025, demanding payment of wages they had not received for months. The strike ended on August 3 after the wages were paid. Following the strike, 23 workers had their employment contracts terminated.

6.Hunting, Fishing, Agriculture and Forestry

6.1.Ağaç A.Ş.

Sector: Hunting, Fishing, Agriculture and Forestry

Start Date: 05.08.2025

End Date: No Information

City: Samsun

Result: No Information

Workers employed by Ağaç AŞ, a subsidiary of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB), went on wildcat strike on August 5, 2025, due to the lack of any improvements in their working conditions despite pay raises given to many other municipal employees. There is no information available in the press or on social media about when the strike ended or how it was resolved.

7.Energy Industry

7.1.Urfa State Hydraulic Works Directorate

Sector: Energy Industry

Start Date: 14.08.2025

End Date: 14.08.2025

City: Urfa

Result: No Goals Achieved

Urfa State Hydraulic Works Directorate employees staged a one-day wildcat strike on August 14, 2025, demanding “fair income and balanced wages” after collective bargaining wage offers fell far short of expectations.

8.Energy, Industry and Mining Services (Public)

8.1.Samsun State Water Works Regional Directorate

Sector: Energy, Industry and Mining Services (Public)

Start Date: 22.08.2025

End Date: 22.08.2025

City: Samsun

Result: No Goals Achieved

Public employees working at the Samsun State Water Works (DSİ) Regional Directorate held a one-day wildcat strike on August 22, 2025, in response to a call from the Engineers TEK-SEN Energy Union, to protest the government's low wage increase offer in the 8th Term Collective Bargaining negotiations and the failure to enact the Engineering Profession Law.

9.Transportation Services (Public)

9.1.Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Istanbul Regional Directorate

Sector: Transportation Services (Public)

Start Date: 22.08.2025

End Date: 22.08.2025

City: İstanbul

Result: No Goals Achieved

Public employees working at the Istanbul Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure held a one-day wildcat strike on August 22, 2025, in response to a call from the Engineers TEK-SEN Energy Union, to protest the government's low wage increase offer in the 8th Term Collective Bargaining negotiations and the failure to enact the Engineering Profession Law.

10.Shipbuilding, Maritime Transport and Warehousing

10.1.Rodaport Port

Sector: Shipbuilding, Maritime Transport and Warehousing

Start Date: 15.08.2025

End Date: 18.08.2025

City: Bursa

Result: No Goals Achieved

Following the workers' decision to join the Liman-İş union at the Rodaport Port in Gemlik district of Bursa, one of the workers was dismissed, which led to the workers on the 4:00-00:00 shift on August 15, 2025, initiating a wildcat strike. Workers on the 00:00-08:00 shift also joined the strike. The strike ended on August 18 without any gains, with 11 more workers being fired and the striking workers being removed from the workplace.

11.Weaving, Garment and Leather

11.1.Umut Textile

Sector: Weaving, Garment and Leather

Start Date: 26.08.2025

End Date: No Information

City: Tokat

Result: No Information

Workers at Umut Textile, located in the Tokat Bedestenlioğlu Industrial Zone, began a wildcat strike on August 26, 2025, because they had not been paid for months. There is no information in the press or social media channels about when the strike ended or how it was resolved.

12.General Strike of Public Employees

Sector: Weaving, Garment and Leather Office, Banking and Insurance Services (Public), Education and Science Services (Public), Health and Social Services (Public), Local Administration Services (Public), Press, Publication and Communication Services (Public), Infrastructure, Construction and Rural Services (Public), Transportation Services (Public), Agriculture and Forestry Services (Public), Culture and Art Services (Public), Energy, Industry and Mining Services (Public)

Start Date: 18.08.2025

End Date: 18.08.2025

City: Adana, Adıyaman, Ağrı, Aksaray, Amasya, Ankara, Antalya, Antep, Aydın, Balıkesir, Batman, Bilecik, Bingöl, Bursa, Çanakkale, Çorum, Denizli, Dersim, Diyarbakır, Edirne, Erzurum, Eskişehir, Hakkari, Iğdır, İstanbul, İzmir, Karabük, Kastamonu, Kayseri, Kırklareli, Kocaeli, Konya, Kütahya, Malatya, Manisa, Maraş, Mardin, Mersin, Muğla, Nevşehir, Ordu, Samsun, Sakarya, Siirt, Sinop, Sivas, Şırnak, Tekirdağ, Tokat, Trabzon, Urfa, Uşak, Van, Zonguldak

Result: No Goals Achieved

Public sector employees staged a nationwide wildcat strike on August 18, 2025, to protest the low wage increase imposed by the government during the 8th round of collective bargaining negotiations.

The strike was called by KESK, United Public Workers' Union, BASK, DMK, HAK-SEN, YURT-SEN, ASİM-SEN, Memur-Sen, and Kamu-Sen, and involved workers in the following sectors: Office, Banking, and Insurance Services, Education, Teaching, and Science Services, Health and Social Services, Local Government Services, Press, Publishing, and Communication Services, Culture and Arts Services, Public Works, Construction, and Rural Services, Transportation Services, Agriculture and Forestry Services, and Energy, Industry, and Mining Services.

As far as we can determine, public workers in at least 54 cities participated in the strike, including Adana, Adıyaman, Ağrı, Aksaray, Amasya, Ankara, Antalya, Antep, Aydın, Balıkesir, Batman, Bilecik, Bingöl, Bursa, Çanakkale, Çorum, Denizli, Dersim, Diyarbakır, Edirne, Erzurum, Eskişehir, Hakkari, Iğdır, İstanbul, İzmir, Karabük, Kastamonu, Kayseri, Kırklareli, Kocaeli, Konya, Kütahya, Malatya, Manisa, Maraş, Mardin, Mersin, Muğla, Nevşehir, Ordu, Samsun, Sakarya, Siirt, Sinop, Sivas, Şırnak, Tekirdağ, Tokat, Trabzon, Urfa, Uşak, Van and Zonguldak.