March 2025 Wildcat Strike Report
As in the first two months of 2025, a large number of wildcat strikes took place in March in various sectors and cities. Two wildcat strikes were organised by public labourers at sectoral level, one in Public Health Institutions and the other in Public Universities. The strikes organised by academics working in public universities separates itself from other strikes with economic and working conditions demands, as it has political demands. Both sectoral strikes organised by public labourers will not be taken into consideration together with the other strikes that took place in March, because they cover more than one city and workplace and it is not clear how many workplaces participated in these strikes, and information on the strikes will be provided in the relevant section of the report.
According to the data we were able to obtain through press and social media channels and one-to-one interviews, apart from the sectoral strikes organised by public labourers, there were wildcat strikes in 16 workplaces in 8 cities, 8 in Antep in the Weaving, Clothing and Leather sector, 3 in Adıyaman, Yozgat and Mersin in the Construction sector, 2 in Istanbul and Izmir in the Municipal Services sector, 2 in Kayseri in the Metal sector and 1 in Antalya in the Health and Social Services (Public) sector. 8 of the strikes took place in Antep and 2 in Kayseri, while there was one strike each in Istanbul, Izmir, Adıyaman, Yozgat, Mersin and Antalya.
Strikes were concluded with gains in 10 workplaces, 5 in Weaving, Clothing and Leather, 2 in Construction, 2 in Metal, 1 in Municipal Services. On the other hand, strikes in 2 workplaces, 1 in Municipal Services and 1 in Health and Social Services (Public), ended without gains. No information could be obtained on how and when the strikes were concluded in 4 workplaces, 3 in the Weaving, Clothing and Leather branch and 1 in the Construction branch.
1. Weaving, Clothing and Leather
In March 2025, 8 wildcat strikes took place in the Weaving, Garment and Leather sector, all of which took place in Antep. 5 of the strikes resulted in victory. No information was obtained about how 3 strikes ended.
1.1.Grand Carpet
Sector: Weaving, Garment and Leather
Start Date: 28.02.2025
End Date: 03.03.2025
City: Antep
Result: Goals Achieved
Workers at Grand Halı in Baspinar OSB in Antep, rejected the boss's wage hike and started a wildcat strike on February 28, 2025. The strike ended on March 3 when the boss agreed to a minimum monthly wage of 39,000 TL for halves and 31,500 TL for wiremen.
1.2.Durkar Carpet
Sector: Weaving, Garment and Leather
Start Date: 04.03.2025
End Date: 06.03.2025
City: Antep
Result: Goals Achieved
Workers at Durkar Halı in Baspinar OSB in Antep, rejected the 30 percent wage hike by the boss and started a wildcat strike on March 4, 2025. The strike ended on March 6 with the promise that no worker would be fired, no wages would be deducted for days spent outside, and wages would be adjusted.
1.3.Sebat Carpet
Sector: Weaving, Garment and Leather
Start Date: 04.03.2025
End Date: 06.03.2025
City: Antep
Result: Goals Achieved
On March 4, 2025, workers at Sebat Halı in Baspinar OSB in Antep, started a wildcat strike, rejecting the boss's wage hike. The strike ended with achievements on March 6, when wages were raised to 33,500 TL for tellers and 38,000 TL for halves.
1.4.Bellatex Carpet
Sector: Weaving, Garment and Leather
Start Date: 05.03.2025
End Date: No Information
City:Antep
Result: No Information
Workers at Bellatex Carpet in Baspinar OSB in Antep, rejected the boss's wage hike and started a wildcat strike on March 5, 2025, demanding a 40 percent raise. There is no information in press and social media channels on how the strike ended.
1.5.Eviza Carpet
Sector: Weaving, Garment and Leather
Start Date: 05.03.2025
End Date: 06.03.2025
City:Antep
Result: Goals Achieved
Workers in the yarn department of Eviza Carpet in the Baspinar OSB in Antep, started a wildcat strike on March 5, 2025, finding the boss's 34 percent increase in wages insufficient. The strike ended on March 6 after the boss increased the raise to 43 percent.
1.6.Alka Polyester
Sector: Weaving, Garment and Leather
Start Date: 07.03.2025
End Date: No Information
City: Antep
Result: No Information
Workers at Alka Polyester in Antep started a wildacat strike on March 7, 2025 due to the non-payment of their wages for two months and last month's raise. There is no information in press and social media channels on how the strike ended.
1.7.Gür Yarn
Sector: Weaving, Garment and Leather
Start Date: 07.03.2025
End Date: No Information
City: Antep
Result: No Information
Workers at the Gür Yarn factory in Baspinar OSB in Antep, started a wildcat strike on March 7, 2025, finding the boss's 30 percent increase in wages insufficient. There is no information in press and social media channels on how the strike ended.
1.8.Ünal Synthetic Weaving
Sector: Weaving, Garment and Leather
Start Date: 28.03.2025
End Date: 28.03.2025
City: Antep
Result: Goals Achieved
Workers at the Unal Synthetic Weaving factory in Baspinar OSB in Antep started a wildcat strike from the night shift on March 28, 2025, demanding that their wages be paid before Eid. İşçilerin ücretlernin ödenemesi üzerine grev aynı gün sonuçlandı.
2. Construction
In March 2025, 3 wildcat strikes took place in the construction sector, all in 3 different cities. 2 of the strikes resulted in victory. No information could be obtained about how 1 strike ended.
2.1.Golbasi TOKI Earthquake Houses Construction Site
Sector: Construction
Start Date: 08.03.2025
End Date: 08.03.2025
City: Adıyaman
Result: Goals Achieved
Construction workers working under the contractor Turgut Contracting Subcontractor Dilkar Construction Electricity at the TOKİ Earthquake Houses 2nd Stage construction site in Gölbaşı district of Adıyaman started a wildcat strike on March 8, 2025 after their wages were not paid for 2 months. The strike was ended after half of their wages were paid and the remaining half was promised to be paid on March 20.
2.2.Yerköy-Kayseri HSR Line
Sector: Construction
Start Date: 13.03.2025
End Date: 14.03.2025
City:Yozgat
Result: Goals Achieved
On March 13, 2025, 1,750 workers at the Yerköy and Kayseri construction sites of the High Speed Train (HSR) line between Yerköy and Kayseri in Yozgat started a wildcat strike due to wage cuts. First the night shift workers went on strike, but by the morning workers from other shifts joined the strike. The strike ended on March 14 after the underpaid wages were paid.
2.3.Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant Construction (İçtaş)
Sector: Construction
Start Date: 25.03.2025
End Date: No Information
City: Mersin
Result: No Information
On March 25, 2025, workers of the subcontractor company İçtaş, operating in the construction of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, started a wildcat strike on the grounds that their wages were not increased for 2025. There is no information in the press and social media about when and how the strike ended.
3. Municipal Services
In March 2025, 2 wildcat strikes took place in the Municipal Services branch, one in Istanbul and one in Izmir. One of the strikes ended with gains and one without gains.
3.1.Maltepe Municipality
Sector: Municipal Services
Start Date: 04.03.2025
End Date: 04.03.2025
City: Istanbul
Result: Failed
Istanbul, Maltepe Municipality workers staged a one-day wildcat strike on March 4, 2025 due to the non-payment of their retroactive receivables.
3.2.Buca Municipality
Sector: Municipal Services
Start Date: 27.03.2025
End Date: 29.03.2025
City: İzmir
Result: Goals Achieved
Workers of Buca Municipality in Izmir started a wildcat strike on March 27, 2025 during the night shift due to the underpayment and irregular payment of their wages for months. The strike ended on 29 March following negotiations between Genel-iş, the authorised union at the workplace, and the municipal administration, which reached an agreement on the payment of wages and other receivables.
4. Metal
In March 2025, in the Metal sector, wildcat strikes took place in 2 workplaces affiliated to Erciyes Anadolu Holding operating in Kayseri. 2 of the strikes resulted with achievements.
4.1.Erciyes Steel
Sector: Metal
Start Date: 19.03.2025
End Date: 19.03.2025
City:Kayseri
Result: Goals Achieved
Workers at Erciyes Çelik, a company of Erciyes Anadolu Holding in Kayseri, staged a short-lived wildcat strike on March 19, 2025, after the union and the company failed to reach an agreement during collective bargaining negotiations. The Collective Labour Agreement (CBA) negotiations between Hes Kablo A.Ş. and Erciyes Çelik Halat A.Ş. and the Turkish Metal Union concluded with an agreement on 24 March 2025.
4.2.Hes Cable
Sector: Metal
Start Date: 19.03.2025
End Date: 19.03.2025
City: Kayseri
Result: Goals Achieved
On March 19, 2025, workers at Hes Kablo, a subsidiary of Erciyes Anadolu Holding in Kayseri, staged a short-lived wildcat strike after the union and the company failed to reach an agreement in the collective labor negotiations. The Collective Labour Agreement (CBA) negotiations between Hes Kablo A.Ş. and Erciyes Çelik Halat A.Ş. and the Turkish Metal Union concluded with an agreement on 24 March 2025. However, 8 workers at HES Kablo were dismissed.
5. Public Labour Strikes
In March 2025, wildcat strikes were organised by public labourers in the Health and Social Services and Education and Science Services sectors, covering a large number of cities and workplaces. The wildcat strikes in the Education and Science Services sector, organised by academics working in public universities for solidarity with the boycott of classes by university students as part of the protests that started on 19 March, differed from other strikes in that they had political demands.
5.1.Public Health Institutions
Sector: Health and Social Services (Public)
Start Date: 14.03.2025
End Date: 14.03.2025
City:Adana, Adıyaman, Ankara, Antalya, Aydın, Batman, Bolu, Bursa, Denizli, Dersim, Diyarbakır, Düzce, Eskişehir, İstanbul, İzmir, Kayseri, Kırıklareli, Manisa, Mardin, Mersin, Muğla, Samsun, Sinop, Şırnak, Trabzon, Urfa, Van
Result: Failed
With the call of the Turkish Medical Association (TTB) and the Health and Social Service Workers' Union (SES), health workers staged a wildcat strike in all public health institutions across Turkey on March 14, 2025, the Medical Day, demanding a health system that provides equal, accessible and quality health care.
As far as we were able to determine through press and social media channels, the strike took place in public health institutions in at least 27 cities, including Adana, Adıyaman, Ankara, Antalya, Aydın, Batman, Bolu, Bursa, Denizli, Dersim, Diyarbakır, Düzce, Eskişehir, İstanbul, İzmir, Kayseri, Kırıklareli, Manisa, Mardin, Mersin, Muğla, Samsun, Sinop, Şırnak, Trabzon, Urfa and Van.
5.2.Manavgat State Hospital
Sector: Health and Social Services (Public)
Start Date: 19.03.2025
End Date: 19.03.2025
City:Antalya
Result: Failed
On 19.03.2025, health workers at Manavgat State Hospital in Antalya's Manavgat district went on a wildcat strike in response to the attack of Ali Volkan Kaya, a doctor at the Orthopedics Clinic in Manavgat State Hospital, who was attacked by a patient's relative while removing a plaster cast from the arm of a minor patient.
5.3.Public Universities
Sector: Education and Science Services (Public)
Start Date: 25.03.2025
End Date: No Information
City: Ankara, Aydın, İstanbul, Mersin
Result: Failed
With the call of Eğitim-Sen, academics are organizing a wildcat strike in various public universities across Turkey on March 25, 2025 to support university students who have been boycotting classes for days following the protests that started after the detention and arrest of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.
As far as we could determine, academics working at public universities in Ankara, Antalya, Istanbul and Mersin participated in the strike.