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TURKEY: Textiles sector comes under the strike wave

ANKARA: Turkey is experiencing the greatest wave of strikes since the 1990s. The wage earners in the textile and marine sectors have also decided to halt working until their demands are fully met. The workers for the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey have also joined the strikers.
 
Unions seem to have become much more prone to declare strikes in order to demand higher wages, despite laborers' salaries having enjoyed increases with the dramatically falling inflation in the past four years. According to estimates strikes may cause the economy to see a direct loss of at least $5 billion.

Textiles are another sector that has come under the strike wave. The Turkish Textile, Knitting and Clothing Industry Workers' Union decided on a strike in 20 establishments. The Real Trade Union for Workers in the Weaving, Knitting and Garment Industry, committed to Labor Confederation, is also going on a strike involving 5,000 workers in six establishments.

Textile, Garment, Painting, Tricot and Dress Workers' Union has also decided to strike in seven work places on behalf of 5,000 employees. The strike decisions coming one after another are causing stress on Turkish industry, which scrambles to deal with the Chinese threat and the economy. The strikes would shake the textile industry that is a significant for Turkey's exports and struggles to become a trademark. It is said that the strike decision concerning about 16,000 workers in total is likely to please the Chinese the most. The widely accepted opinion is that a possible shrinking of the textile sector, which is the leading power in terms of employment, would jolt the sector.

The Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodities Exchanges Apparel and Ready Wear Assembly President Umut Oran stated that the sector's profit margin remained between 5 and 10 percent due to the negative impact of East Asia, adding: "The textile sector lies on the edge of a knife. The Turkish economy doesn't have a chance to overcome a strike; it would mean non-production and the decrease in the acceleration of the sector. Oran also underlined that a strike would shake the exports of the sector.

The Istanbul Textile and Raw Materials Exporters' Union (ITHIB) Chairman Ismail Gülle emphasized that many employers would volunteer for a lockout if a strike did happen. "The strike and the subsequent lockout would wear down the sector. The important thing is that factories keep manufacturing. The exports of the textile sector are around 25 percent and will reach $7 billion by the end of 2007. We wouldn't like to have any obstacle while we have gained this acceleration."

Source: Agencies • News Courtesy: BharatTextile.com