02.06.2025 10:31
Due to the garbage accumulation caused by the strike of municipal workers in İzmir, some citizens who reacted to the environmental pollution started cleaning at Kordon, which led to a confrontation with the striking workers. The verbal exchange quickly escalated into a scuffle.
Approximately 23,000 workers employed by İZELMAN, İZENERJİ, and Egeşehir companies, which are affiliated with the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality, started a strike on May 29, negatively affecting daily life across the city, while tensions rose at Kordon. Citizens, unable to endure the bad smell and environmental pollution caused by the garbage, began cleaning up, leading to a verbal dispute that escalated into a scuffle between the striking union workers and the citizens.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION INCREASED TENSIONS
Especially the accumulated garbage in Alsancak, Kıbrıs Şehitleri Street, and Kordon drew reactions from both city residents and tourists. Some citizens began to collect trash with cleaning supplies they had in hand. However, this situation was deemed "strike-breaking" by the workers exercising their right to strike.
VERBAL DISPUTE TURNED INTO PHYSICAL INTERVENTION
In the incident at Kordon, there was a verbal exchange between some citizens cleaning up and the striking workers. The tension between the parties quickly escalated into physical intervention. The fight ended before it could escalate further, thanks to the intervention of nearby citizens. Those moments were captured on a mobile phone camera.
MAYOR TUGAY ALSO JOINED IN TRASH COLLECTION
On the other hand, İzmir Metropolitan Mayor Cemil Tugay stated that the environmental issues arising from the strike threaten public health. On the evening of June 1, he went to Alsancak Kordon and supported the trash collection efforts alongside workers who did not participate in the strike. Tugay emphasized that the prolongation of the process would make city life even more difficult and reiterated the call for consensus in the collective bargaining agreement.