Workers protest over non-payment of salaries

YENİERENKÖY council workers this week launched a “go slow” in protest of non-payment of salaries over the last four months — the second such industrial action in a year.

Some 112 employees went to municipality premises on Monday morning but refused to start work, sending a message to the local authority: “Enough is enough. Sort out this problem.”

A statement on behalf of workers said: “If you also include the 13th [bonus] wage, we have not received our salaries for the last five months

“We have been going through hard times financially . . .

“We cannot provide bread in our homes or pay our electricity bills for months. Some of us have no power.

“Some owe money to the grocer. We have no peace at our homes and our children have reached a point of not able to continue their education as we cannot afford to pay school expenses.”

Acting Mayor Mehmet Kadı confirmed that the council workers had not received their last four months’ pay or their 13th wage, but said the lack of a government meant the municipality’s hands were tied.

“The municipality needs to pay some 1.85 million TL to meet five months’ outstanding salaries . . . We previously handed money from the municipality’s budget to pensioners because we had already given the pensions money to staff,” he said, adding that pensioners were now being given 130TL a month “in order to avoid any more vicitimisation”, but were still owed the last two months’ pensions.

“We do understand the position of the workers but you cannot get [your wages] without working. I am trying my best,” he said.

Mr Kadı pledged to take up the issue with the new government as soon as it is formed, and to apply for an advance in order to pay outstanding salaries.

Some 117 striking staff padlocked and blockaded the municipality for about three weeks in May and June last year after they went without pay for nearly four months.

Mr Kadı said at the time that the council’s workforce should be reduced by 40 per cent in order to bring down the 380,000TL monthly wage bill.