May 2025 Wildcat Strike Report
In May 2025, there were several wildcat strikes in different sectors and cities. The city with the highest number of strikes in this period was Izmir, while the highest number of strikes took place in the Municipal Services sector. On the other hand, the wildcat strike of workers at TÜPRAŞ refineries in Izmir and Kocaeli, who refused to accept the Collective Bargaining Agreement signed between the employer and the Petrol-İş Union of which they are members, drew attention with its mass and militant character.
The strikes that took place in Public Oral and Dental Health Units on May 29-30, 2025 will not be discussed together with the other strikes that took place in May, as they covered more than one city and workplace, and it is not clear how many workplaces went on strike, and information on this strike will be provided in the relevant section of the report.
According to the data we were able to obtain through a review of press and social media channels and one-on-one interviews, apart from the strikes in Public Oral and Dental Health Units; there have been wildcat strikes in 16 workplaces in 8 cities, including, 6 workplaces in Izmir and Istanbul in the Municipal Services branch, 4 workplaces in Samsun, Istanbul, Hatay and Adıyaman in the Construction branch, 2 workplaces in Izmir and Kocaeli in the Petroleum, Chemicals, Rubber, Plastics and Pharmaceuticals branch, 1 workplace in Kayseri in the Energy sector, 1 workplace in Bursa in the Metal sector, 1 workplace in Bursa in the Food Industry sector, and 1 workplace in Izmir in the Health and Social Services (Public) sector. 6 of the strikes took place in Izmir, 3 in Istanbul, 2 in Bursa and one strike each in Samsun, Hatay, Adıyaman, Kocaeli and Kayseri.
Strikes were concluded with gains in 4 workplaces, 2 in Municipal Services, 2 in Construction and 8 workplaces without gains, 4 in Municipal Services, 2 in Petroleum, Chemical, Rubber, Plastics and Pharmaceuticals, 1 in Food Industry, 1 in Health and Social Services (Public). In 3 workplaces including 1 in Construction, 1 in Energy and 1 in Metal, there is no information on how and when the strikes were concluded. The strike in 1 workplace in the construction branch continues as of June 1, 2025.
1.Municipal Services
1.1.Beşiktaş Municipality
Sector: Municipal Services
Start Date: 01.05.2025
End Date: 02.05.2025
City: İstanbul
Result: No Goals Achieved
Cleaning workers of Beşiktaş Municipality went on a wildcat strike on May 1, 2025 due to the regular non-payment of their wages and bonuses. The strike was ended on May 2 upon the promise that wages would be paid on Tuesday. However, the payment was not made on the promised date.
1.2.Konak Municipality
Sector: Municipal Services
Start Date: 02.05.2025
End Date: 02.05.2025
City: İzmir
Result: No Goals Achieved
Workers staged a one-day wildcat strike on May 2, 2025 due to the failure to reach an agreement in the ongoing collective bargaining negotiations between the Social Democrat Public Employers' Union (SODEM-SEN) and Genel İş, which were conducting the negotiations on behalf of Merbel A.Ş. of Konak Municipality.
1.3.İzmir Metropolitan Municipality
Sector: Municipal Services
Start Date: 07.05.2025
End Date: 15.05.2025
City: İzmir
Result: No Goals Achieved
Workers of İZELMAN, İZENERJİ and Egeşehir, subsidiaries of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, staged wildcat strikes for half a day on May 7, 2025 and for one hour on May 15, 2025 due to underpayment of wages.
1.4.Karşıyaka Municipality
Sector: Municipal Services
Start Date: 07.05.2025
End Date: 07.05.2025
City: İzmir
Result: No Goals Achieved
Karşıyaka Municipality workers staged a half-day wildcat strike on May 7, 2025 due to the underpayment and irregular payment of their wages for a long time and the non-payment of their receivables arising from the collective labor agreement.
1.5.Karabağlar Municipality
Sector: Municipal Services
Start Date: 13.05.2025
End Date: 15.05.2025
City: İzmir
Result: Goals Achieved
Workers in Izmir's Karabağlar Municipality started a wildcat strike on May 13, 2025 due to non-payment of wages. The strike ended on May 15, 2025 as a result of the agreement reached between the municipality and Genel-İş, of which the workers are members.
1.6.Istanbul Public Buses
Sector: Municipal Services
Start Date: 22.05.2025
End Date: 22.05.2025
City: İstanbul
Result: Goals Achieved
Drivers of private public buses operating under Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality went on a wildcat strike on May 22, 2025 due to the municipality's failure to pay them for 6 months. The drivers reached an agreement with the municipality on the same day and ended the strike.
2.Construction
2.1.Samsun City Hospital Construction Site
Sector: Construction
Start Date: 05.05.2025
End Date: No Information
City: Samsun
Result: No Information
Workers at the construction site of Samsun City Hospital went on a wildcat strike on May 5, 2025 due to non-payment of wages for months. There is no information about when and how the strike ended in the press and social media channels.
2.2.Acıbadem Benesta Construction Site
Sector: Construction
Start Date: 12.05.2025
End Date: 12.05.2025
City: İstanbul
Result: Goals Achieved
Workers at the Acıbadem Benesta construction site, where the contractor is Emlak Konut GYO, started a wildcat strike on May 12, 2025 due to the poor and inadequate conditions in the shelter and cafeteria. The strike ended the same day with all of the workers' demands accepted.
2.3.Iskenderun KYK Dormitory Construction Site
Sector: Construction
Start Date: 28.05.2025
End Date: 29.05.2025
City: Hatay
Result: Goals Achieved
Workers at the İskenderun KYK Dormitory Construction Site in Hatay, working for Dilar Engineering, a subcontractor of KLV Construction, started a wildcat strike on May 28, 2025 due to non-payment of wages. The strike ended on June 29 after most of the wages were paid and the remaining part was promised to be paid on June 25.
2.4.Indere Earthquake Houses Construction Site
Sector: Construction
Start Date: 31.05.2025
City: Hatay
Status: In Progress
Construction workers at Sur Yapı's İndere Earthquake Houses in Adıyaman started a wildcat strike on May 31, 2025 demanding payment of their wages that they have not received for 2 months. The strike continues as of June 1, 2025.
3.Petroleum, Chemicals, Rubber, Plastics and Pharmaceuticals
3.1.Tüpraş Refineries
Sector: Petroleum, Chemicals, Rubber, Plastics and Pharmaceuticals
Start Date: 07.05.2025
End Date: 08.05.2025
City: İzmir, Kocaeli
Result: No Goals Achieved
After the negotiations between Petrol-İş union and TÜPRAŞ General Directorate reached an agreement in the morning and the collective bargaining agreement was signed, workers at Tüpraş refineries in İzmir and Kocaeli rejected the agreement and started a wildcat strike on May 7, 2025. The workers' strike demanding an annexed protocol ended on May 8 without any gains.
4.Energy Industry
4.1.Teknosys
Sector: Energy Industry
Start Date: 12.05.2025
End Date: No Information
City: Kayseri
Result: No Information
On May 12, 2025, workers at Teknosys, a subcontractor company of Beyçelik Holding's Bak Enerji, which operates in Kayseri's Yahyalı district, started a wildcat strike due to non-payment of wages for months. There is no information in the press and social media channels about how and on what date the strike ended.
5.Metal
5.1.AKİA Bus
Sector: Metal
Start Date: 13.05.2025
End Date: No Information
City: Bursa
Result: No Information
Workers at the AKIA Bus factory operating in the İnegöl Furniture Specialized Organized Industrial Zone in Bursa started a wildcat strike on 13 May 2025 because they did not receive their fringe benefits and salaries on time. There is no information in the press and social media about how and when the strike ended.
6.Food Industry
6.1.Aroma Factory
Sector: Food Industry
Start Date: 26.05.2025
End Date: 27.05.2025
City: Bursa
Result: No Goals Achieved
Workers at the Aroma factory in Bursa started a wildcat strike on May 26, 2025 against the signing of a protocol between the employer and Tekgıda-İş, the authorized union at the factory, without their knowledge. The strike was ended on May 27 after the employer threatened to fire the workers without paying them their rights.
7.Health and Social Services (Public)
7.1.Ege University Hospital
Sector: Health and Social Services (Public)
Start Date: 22.05.2025
End Date: 23.05.2025
City: İzmir
Result: No Goals Achieved
A two-day wildcat strike was held on June 22 - 23, 2025 with the call of the Ege Trade Unions Platform against the inadequate and unfair distribution of incentive supplementary payments at the Ege University Hospital in Izmir.
7.2.Public Oral and Dental Health Units
Sector: Health and Social Services (Public)
Start Date: 29.05.2025
End Date: 30.05.2025
City: İzmir, Karaman, Kocaeli, Manisa, Muğla, Sakarya, Sinop
Result: No Goals Achieved
With the call of Hekimsen and Tabipsen, dentists working in Public Dental Health units staged a wildcat strike on 29-30 May 2025 against problems such as the loss of their economic and personal rights, the lack of necessary measures against violence against dentists in hospitals and the pressure of administrators.
As far as we were able to determine through press and social media channels, the strike took place in at least 7 cities, including Izmir, Karaman, Kocaeli, Manisa, Muğla Sakarya and Sinop.