Collective Bargaining Process in Delphi/Turkey

Press Information From United Metalworkers’ Union

Almost one year passed over the date of organizing of Delphi workers in our Union.

In  this one year process, Delphi workers were not able to enjoy their legal rights to work with a collective agreement despite they were unionized. Negotiations for collective agreement have started with the MESS, metal employers’ union with a one year delay  after unionisation.

Three meetings have been realized between the sides of collective bargaining till today. Our Union kept its constructive and affirmative position to conclude bargaining process at negotiation table in these meetings.

On the other hand, MESS insisted to put the provisions in group collective agreement signed with metal unions two years ago to the new agreement which will be signed by Birlesikmetal Is Union and Delphi. The MESS also declared that it will only recognize the two years old group collective agreement not the one that our union jointly developed with its members in Delphi and will never accept to negotiate over collective bargaining proposals of Delphi workers.

Our union continued to keep its positive position versus this approach showed by the MESS and it approached positively to some provisions in group collective agreement by considering both the possible harm that our members might face in the case of dispute and also to prevent obstruction of collective bargaining negotiations.

Despite all these positive and constructive positions taken by our union, we faced with an arrogance that can be summarized like in following phrase “You have two chances: to accept whole provisions in group agreement or to go to dispute”. Therefore all efforts spent by our union were in vain.

Our negotiators stressed repeatedly that they wanted to see entire evaluation made by MESS over the proposal of Delphi workers because our members would be able to make a new evaluation on collective bargaining process only after they see what MESS really rejects. Our union also declared that it wouldn’t sign the minutes of dispute. Thus, the meeting in question came to end with no any minutes.  

In the meeting held on 18th January our union stated that it has come to the point of agreement with MESS over the following provisions: “Gained Rights”, “Sorts of Work Contracts and their relations with Collective Agreements”, “Training Period and Employment Certificate”, “Mass Dismissals”, “Members who work for union”, “Workplace Trade Union Representatives, their tasks and competences”, “Guarantees for trade union executives and representatives”, “guarantees for members” and proposed to leave negotiations on some provisions to the next meetings. The response given by MESS was that unless the union accepts whole provisions of group agreement it wouldn’t negotiate over monetary provisions and it wants to go to dispute.

Possible developments in collective bargaining round: 1) Within a shortest time the MESS may unilaterally ask the nomination of official mediator 2) If MESS doesn’t take this step our union may ask the nomination of official mediator after the completion of 60 days period.

It is the opinion of our union that the conditionality with group agreement of a collective bargaining in a workplace which didn’t belong to any group agreement at the time when workers were organized in a union, has increased detriments of workers and affected working environment negatively.

Today, collective agreement right which has been proposed to Delphi workers is limited with legal base on administrative and trade union and workers are being forced to perceive collective agreement as only monetary rights. However collective agreements are the tools which can be used to help workers to have rights on their own working environment beyond minimal rights. The right to sepeak on the issues such as the change of work, disciplin rules in the workplace, coverage of collective agreement, working and resting times generates from being human, not from being workers.

Delphi workers have been neglected for a long time. To give this negligence an end and more importantly to ensure that Delphi workers are able to know what employer exactly proposes versus their proposal the negotiations for collective agreement must continue. This is what our union put forward in all meetings with MESS.

Delphi workers will do the best of evaluations.