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Workers at 16 Swatch Group stores in Türkiye are set to go on strike Monday (Nov. 10) in protest over wages and working conditions, marking the first industrial action against the Swiss watchmaker in the country, according to a Reuters report.
The strike, organized by the Koop-Is union and backed by Switzerland-based UNI Global Union, will begin at 10 a.m. local time on Nov. 10 at all Swatch Group workplaces in Türkiye, including its country office in Istanbul.
The decision follows months of failed negotiations between Swatch management and Koop-Is, which represents approximately 170 employees across the company’s retail operations in Türkiye.
About 150 workers from Swatch brand stores in Istanbul, Ankara and Antalya, as well as two Omega stores in Istanbul, are expected to participate in the walkout. Koop-Is is also affiliated with the Confederation of Turkish Trade Unions (Turk-Is), the country’s largest labor confederation.
Union officials say Swatch’s latest wage proposals fall short of meeting workers' needs amid soaring inflation, which reached 32.9% in October, according to official figures. The company reportedly offered wage increases of 25% for retail staff and between 5% and 15% for office employees, levels the union described as inadequate.
Swatch has also reportedly insisted that any collective agreement take effect beginning July 1, 2025, rather than retroactively from April 2024, when Türkiye’s Ministry of Labor first granted Koop-Is official authorization to represent the workers.
“Our union has made every effort to achieve a fair agreement that protects the rights and welfare of all Swatch Group Türkiye employees,” said Koop-Is President Eyup Alemdar.
Beyond wage increases, Koop-Is is demanding stronger job security, the creation of disciplinary boards to prevent arbitrary dismissals, and equal access to bonuses and social benefits across all job categories.
The union accused Swatch of offering unequal financial terms between workers and excluding office staff from key benefits.
Swatch Group, headquartered in Biel/Bienne, Switzerland, owns brands such as Swatch, Omega, Tissot, and Longines. While the company does not break down its revenue by country, Türkiye ranks as the 18th-largest export market for Swiss watches this year—ahead of Canada and India—according to the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry.
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UNI Global Union, a federation representing service-sector unions based in Nyon, Switzerland, has written to Swatch CEO Nick Hayek and Chair Nayla Hayek, urging them to resolve the dispute.
Swatch Group responded by saying, “The union’s demands are unfortunately unrealistically high and totally exaggerated,” according to the report.
The strike comes amid growing labor tensions in Türkiye’s retail sector, where workers have been seeking higher wages amid sustained economic volatility and cost-of-living pressures.
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