Stern Warning to Hyundai Elevator from United Metal-Is: "Our Union Right Cannot Be Blocked, Workers Are Not Your Slaves!"

ISTANBUL - Birleşik Metal-İş Union made a strong press statement in front of Hyundai Elevator Headquarters in Kadıköy, Istanbul together with Hyundai Elevator workers who are struggling for the right to unionized and collectively bargained work. The statement emphasized that the South Korean-owned company ignores the constitutional rights of workers and prevents union organizing and collective bargaining.

3 Years of Legal Struggle and the Uncompromising Attitude of the Employer

In addition to Hyundai Elevator workers, United Metal-İş General President Özkan Atar, central and branch executives, representatives and members from other organized workplaces attended the press statement. DİSK Istanbul Regional Representative Asalettin Arslanoğlu and representatives of DİSK affiliated unions and pro-labor political organizations also supported the workers. Metal workers chanted "Our right to a union cannot be prevented", "Our right to a contract cannot be prevented", "We will win if we resist", "Long live our organized struggle".

In a written statement made on behalf of the General Executive Board of United Metal-İş, it was stated that Hyundai Elevator workers were organized in the union in 2022 and their authorization was determined by the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, but the employer objected to this authorization and a 3-year legal struggle took place. It was emphasized that the local court phase lasted 1 year and 9 months, the appeal process took 3 months and the Supreme Court of Appeals took 11 months, and finally the union's authorization was finalized.

The statement said that despite all the objections of the employer in the judicial processes, the workers waited patiently, but during the 60-day negotiation process that started after the authorization was finalized, the South Korean employer did not make any raise offer "as if mocking the workers" and did not accept any demand in the collective bargaining proposal. Hyundai Elevator management is clearly intransigent against the law and the will of the workers.

Employers' "Immoral Offers" Will Not Be Accepted

General President Özkan Atar pointed out that the decisions of the Constitutional Court regarding authorization objections were ignored and addressed the South Korean boss: "If you earn money with the sweat of the brow of the workers of this country, you will respect the workers, laborers and laws of this country! Stop the Eastern cunning! The workers of this country are not your slaves! Don't force us to teach you this. Both the Hyundai worker and the United Metal-Is Union are ready to do what is necessary if you force them! Hyundai workers will never accept your immoral offers, they will never surrender to you!"

DİSK Istanbul Regional Representative Asalettin Arslanoğlu emphasized that Hyundai Elevator workers have unionized by exercising their constitutional rights, and said that South Korean bosses must respect workers' right to unionized and collectively bargained work, and that DİSK stands by the workers until the end.

The Problem of Not Wanting a Unionized System, Not an Economic One

Birleşik Metal-İş stated that Hyundai Asansör management's proposal means rejecting the union's effective date of May 2025 and imposing the start of the contract in January 2026, which means a 0% raise for the first eight months. It also stated that the wage increase envisaged from January 2026 is only the minimum wage increase rate and is far from protecting the worker against inflation. "Therefore, this is not an offer, but an attempt to leave Hyundai Elevator workers without a union and without a collective agreement," the statement said.

The union emphasized that the problem is not economic, but the fact that Hyundai Elevator managers do not want a unionized and collectively bargained system. It was stated that Hyundai Elevator workers demand a life worthy of human dignity and that workers, who are in danger of being injured by falling elevators and even being victims of occupational homicide, are wanted to be condemned to misery wages in return for their labor.

Step by Step Approaching the Strike Phase

At this point, it has been announced that a dispute report has been filed, the mediation process has begun and the legal strike phase is approaching step by step. The first action was held today in front of Hyundai Elevator Headquarters, warning that if the employer continues to ignore the demands, the actions will be diversified and the struggle will grow.

The United Metal-İş Union once again called on the Hyundai Elevator employer to restore peace in the workplace and said, "Hyundai Elevator workers are not abandoned! We will continue this struggle until the right to unionized and collectively bargained work is realized. Hyundai Elevator workers will win, we will win!" concluded the statement.