Ford's Turkish joint-venture (JV), Ford Otosan, has been forced to cancel an additional shift on Tuesday (19 May) as a result of labour disruptions at its component suppliers, reports Reuters. In a statement sent to the news service, the company said, "As it was not possible to supply parts from intermediate product makers in Bursa [Turkey], the preplanned extra working shift has been cancelled."
Significance: Ford is now the third automaker to be affected by labour disruptions in the country. However, unlike Renault's JV, Renault Oyak and Fiat's JV with Koc Holding, Tofas, these disruptions have not been direct. Also said to be taking part are workers at component supplier Çoskunöz Holding, and they have been supported by workers from companies such as Beltan Trelleborg Vibracoustic (TBVC), Delphi, SKT, Ototrim Automotive, Rollmech, and Mako. The situation has been caused by workers seeking improved wages after rumours of big increases at one site in the region. However, many are not affiliated to a union, particularly as the relationship between workers and these types of bodies have soured in recent years. Unions were accused of acceding to the demands of the government and automakers, resulting in a sharp decline in membership. Although Fiat has said that the shift cancellation will not hamper its sales, a spokesperson for Oyak Renault said the protest had reached a point where it posed "a serious danger" to the automotive sector in the country. While automakers and the Turkish Metal Industries Employers' Association are taking part in talks to quell this unrest, it remains to be seen whether there will be further cutbacks in production among other automakers in the country before a solution can be reached.
