The streets of Buca are filled with garbage and odor.

Due to a wage dispute between the Buca Municipality and the union, garbage piles have formed on the streets and avenues as a result of a two-day strike; the bad smell and visuals have outraged the citizens.

The workers had gone on strike after an agreement could not be reached in the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) negotiations between the Social Democratic Public Employers Union (SODEM-SEN) negotiating on behalf of İmar A.Ş. at Buca Municipality and the DISK General İş İzmir Branch No. 5. With the workers going on strike, the garbage in the city center was also not collected. The garbage accumulating on the streets and avenues caused bad smells and pollution, leading citizens to react to the situation.

“Everywhere is full of filth”
Resident of İnkılap Neighborhood, Senem Işık stated, “We are in such a bad situation. It’s disgusting. Everywhere is full of filth. We have children. Other neighborhoods are the same way. We are tired of this situation. It’s always like this. The garbage is not collected, it’s thrown on the ground. We cannot open our windows, we cannot ventilate our homes. This shouldn’t happen in a city like İzmir.”

“There is a bad smell, we are disturbed”
Seniha Uysal also expressed, “It’s very bad in terms of hygiene. It’s full of germs. The workers are on strike, they have their rights. However, there is a bad smell, we are disturbed. If the hot weather continues, it will get even worse. The municipality needs to take precautions.”
Another neighborhood resident, Yahya Recai, mentioned, “I am an adult but there are small children. The surroundings are full of filth. It’s not a pleasant sight. The neighborhood is completely full of garbage piles.”

Agreement reached, the lowest worker salary will be 43,600 TL
On the other hand, it has been reported that an agreement has been reached in the collective bargaining process that has been ongoing since July between Buca Municipality and DISK General İş Union Branch No. 5, which covers 1,607 workers. The union management, which had decided to strike by rejecting the municipality’s previous offer, decided to end the strike after two days. It was stated that the municipal workers who returned to work today would receive a minimum salary of 43,600 TL along with all their rights according to the agreement made.