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A major labor strike involving 23,000 municipal workers in Türkiye’s western city of Izmir began early Thursday after collective bargaining talks between the city government and a major trade union collapsed, leading to significant disruptions in urban transport.
The strike, launched by DISK, comes after negotiations with the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality failed to yield a deal over the 2025–2026 collective labor agreement.
As the strike began just after midnight, thousands of city buses halted operations. This caused heavy congestion at bus stops and transfer centers across the city during the morning rush hour, forcing commuters to find alternative ways to reach workplaces, schools, and hospitals.
Residents have turned to services unaffected by the strike, including the IZBAN commuter rail system, the Izmir Metro, tram lines, and ferry services.
In a statement on Wednesday, the municipality confirmed that the strike was triggered by a breakdown in negotiations with DISK. The city disclosed its final offer to the union, which included a minimum monthly wage of ₺59,000 ($1,509), rising to a maximum of ₺76,000, inclusive of bonuses and benefits, effective from Jan. 1.
According to the municipality, this proposal would amount to an annual cost of ₺24 billion. However, the union’s demands would push that figure up to ₺32 billion—a level the municipality said it cannot afford to meet.
Despite the disruption to bus operations, the city administration assured the public that other modes of public transportation—IZBAN, metro, tram, and ferry services—would continue as normal and remain outside the scope of the strike.
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