ANKARA
Turkish autoworkers have pursued their strike on Friday as two companies caught up in the labor dispute - Ford Otosan and Tofas - claimed earlier to have restarted production.
Hundreds of workers from both companies, Ford Otosan in the province of Kocaeli and Tofas in Bursa, remain on the picket line, chanting slogans against the Turkish Metal Labor Union.
“We will continue our fight 'till we win,” read banners carried by some workers at Ford Otosan, while some Tofas employees chanted: "We will win by resisting."
Workers are demanding a wage increase and the withdrawal of the Turkish Metal Labor Union from factories. The union has been accused of signing controversial agreements in certain workplaces.
Earlier on Friday, Ford Otosan said in a stock exchange filing, “Since the part supply problem is resolved, manufacturing operations have restarted in the Golcuk and Yenikoy Plants, effective from Thursday night shift."
Ford Otosan, a joint venture of Koc Holding and Ford, halted production on Wednesday as vehicle parts coming from supplier companies located in the Bursa province ceased due to the strikes.
An announcement from Tofas, Fiat's affiliate, where strikes started last week, followed those from Ford Otosan.
"In accordance with the risk management policies of our corporation and as necessary conditions have been met, production activities have started as of Friday. Our company also has no problem or difficulty in its procurement process from suppliers," a statement released by the company said.
The announcements came after Turkey's Industry Minister Fikri Isik had called on Turkish autoworkers to end their protests on Thursday, adding that their industrial action hurt production and exports.
On Thursday, another Turkish automobile supplier, Coskunoz, in the western province of Bursa also announced that its employees had returned to work.
