Lawmaker Questions Minister on Unpaid Wages at Yıldızlar SSS Holding Subsidiaries

A member of the DEM Party has formally questioned the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources about the ongoing failure to pay wages and severance packages to workers at Eti Gümüş and Doruk Madencilik, both part of Yıldızlar SSS Holding. The lawmaker, Cengiz Çiçek, submitted a parliamentary question detailing the plight of these workers.

Çiçek pointed out that since early 2025, workers at Eti Gümüş's Elazığ Maden facility have not received their wages, nor have laid-off employees received their severance or indemnity payments. These workers have also been placed on unpaid leave. Similar issues plague Doruk Madencilik, where workers have been waiting months for their wages and compensation.

The problem is not isolated. Çiçek noted a recurring pattern across the holding's various operations. In Kütahya, workers at the Eti Gümüş plant were left unpaid after production ceased. In Gümüşhane, wage payments have been consistently delayed for years, forcing workers to strike multiple times. In Giresun, employees were put on mandatory unpaid leave without prior notice, even as the company received necessary funding. In Çanakkale, severance debts remain unpaid after a facility closure.

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The operating company, province, and company name may change; but the delayed wages, unpaid severance, and workers having to protest to collect their dues remain the same.

"The operating company, province, and company name may change; but the delayed wages, unpaid severance, and workers having to protest to collect their dues remain the same," Çiçek stated. He emphasized that the privatization of the state-owned Eti Gümüş in 2004 has led to a situation where worker rights are compromised.

Çiçek's parliamentary question also referenced past commitments. He recalled an agreement in April 2026 following a protest by Doruk Madencilik workers in Ankara, where the ministry was mentioned as a mediator. The ministry had pledged to follow the process until all worker dues were settled. In April 2026, the minister himself confirmed the company's debts to workers and local businesses, stating that those owing money would not receive coal purchase guarantees or incentives. He also declared that the holding would not be granted new licenses. A report from the Ministry of Labor and Social Security's inspectors confirmed workers' rights to wages and severance during the unpaid leave period. Despite these official findings, payments have not been made. Workers were forced to return to Ankara on August 10, 2026, after the company failed to meet its payment deadline of August 6, 2026.

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Workers' dues are now based not only on their own statements but also on the findings of public institutions.