Workers stopped working for two hours at Tüpraş in Turkey

While the collective bargaining process was going on at Tüpraş, a Koç Holding company, workers stopped working for 2 hours today to warn the company management
Tuesday, 26 March 2019 15:29

The collective bargaining process at Tüpraş owned by Koç Holding continues since no results have been achieved after the negotiations between the employers and workers.

After the owner, Koç Holding, changed the shift system to the detriment of the workers and did not agree to increase the duration of the collective labor agreement to 3 years, workers decided to stop working for two hours to warn the company management.

Today, the workers of Tüpraş in its four refineries in Izmit, Kırıkkale, Izmir, and Batman did not start their shifts on time. The workers made a press statement and started a protest march.

Türkiye Petrol Rafinerileri Inc. is a company in Turkey operating four refineries located in different cities. The company controls all of Turkey’s refining capacity and owns 59% of the total petroleum products storage capacity.

In October, 2017, an explosion at İzmir Tüpraş killed four workers and wounded one worker.

Owned by Koç Holding, Turkey’s top capitalist family circle, formerly state-run TÜPRAŞ was privatized in 2005 under the rule of Justice and Development Party. A consortium of Koç Holding and Shell bid over $4 billion to acquire the 51% of the corporation.

Koç Holding's total turnover corresponds to 15 percent of 500 biggest industrial companies and 3 percent of Turkey’s gross domestic product. The family owns such leading companies as oil corporation Tüpraş, automobile producers Ford and Tofaş, household manufacturer Arçelik and Yapı Kredi Bank.