Workers at Turkey's largest oil refinery company, Tüpraş, have escalated their action to a full-day work stoppage during the day shift today following a meeting held yesterday between the company management and the Petroleum Workers' Union (Petrol-İş).

At the İzmir refinery, one of the four belonging to the company, workers refused to begin work today and instead gathered at the entrance of the refinery, Evrensel reported. They also closed the cafeteria to use, symbolically refusing to eat the company-provided meals.

Speaking on behalf of the workers, local head of the union, Hasan Toptan, announced, “Yesterday’s meeting was intended to pave the way for a new agreement. However, no progress was made. A new session is scheduled for May 5. Until then, we are moving to full-day actions."

"After the negotiating table closes, our struggle will continue," he added. "Tüpraş workers will continue their actions until they receive what they deserve.”

The union representing around 3,500 workers at four refineries launched protests and two-hour daily stoppages on Apr 21 following the failure of 13 rounds of collective bargaining talks with the company owned by Koç Holding, Turkey's largest business conglomerate.

The negotiations stalled after the company insisted on a 28% wage increase, below last year’s official inflation rate of 44%, prompting the workers to launch protests. Workers are seeking raises to offset inflation-driven losses.

Mourinho's salary

As the protests continue, Koç Holding owners' involvement in sports have also become part of the debate. Ali Koç, deputy chair of Koç Holding’s board, is also the president of Fenerbahçe, one of Turkey’s largest sports clubs.

The salary of renowned football manager José Mourinho, who currently coaches Fenerbahçe, became a topic of protest during a demonstration on Apr 25 outside Tüpraş’s main refinery in Kocaeli, northwestern Turkey.

“They [Koç family] give to Fenerbahçe without cutting from Mourinho, but they do not give to Tüpraş workers. We will take what is ours through resistance," said Bülent Sarı, a member of the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) while addressing workers during the protest.

The Labor Party (EMEP) also voiced support for the workers citing Mourinho's salary in a social media post: “40 million liras monthly to Mourinho, 28% raise to Tüpraş workers... We stand with Tüpraş workers!”

Mourinho, one of the most decorated coaches in the history of football, was hired by Fenerbahçe at the beginning of this season for an annual salary of 10.5 million euros (460.8 million liras) according to the club.

This amount is by far the highest in Süper Lig and more than four times higher than the salary of Okan Buruk, the coach of Fenerbahçe’s archrivals Galatasaray, which is on course to win its third consecutive championship while Fenerbahçe is once again trailing in second place.

Ali Koç, who assumed the presidency of Fenerbahçe in 2018, has yet to lead the team to a league title, extending the club’s championship drought to 10 years, the longest in its history. (VK)