The Will of Labor Exits the Ballot Box: Kütahya Sugar Workers Go on Strike

KÜTAHYA - After the 11th Term Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations between the Turkish Food and Sugar Industry Workers Union (Şeker-İş) and Kütahya Sugar Factory Inc. failed, the workers decided to strike. In a strike ballot held at the factory, the majority of workers voted "yes" to strike.

The Process Leading Up to Reconciliation

The Sugar-Is Union announced that the collective bargaining negotiations with Kütahya Sugar Factory, which started on March 24, 2025, failed to conclude despite all good faith efforts. After the negotiations ended on May 23, 2025, with a minutes of disagreement, the official mediation process did not yield a positive result. In response, the union announced that a strike would be implemented as of August 30, 2025.

The Worker's Verdict at the Ballot Box

A strike vote was held at Kütahya Sugar Factory on August 29, 2025 against the strike decision taken by the union, as required by law. Of the 223 workers who participated in the vote, 186 voted in favor of the strike, while only 36 workers opposed the strike. As a result of the vote, in which one vote was invalidated, it was determined that workers overwhelmingly voted to go on strike.

Şeker-İş: "We are going on strike for a decent life"

Seker-İş Union stated that the decision to strike was motivated by the demand for decent wages, fair share and secure working conditions in the face of high inflation and rising cost of living. In its statement, the union emphasized that their struggle is not only for a wage increase, but also for the compensation of labor and the sustainability of production.

The union publicly announced that they will start the strike on August 30, 2025 and that they are ready to compromise if the employer makes a fair offer, but that they will defend their rights to the end with the will of their members.