Labour dispute resumes at Ford Motor's Turkish unit

Strike continues over working conditions, wages

ANKARA (Reuters) - The Turkish unit of Ford Motor Co has suspended operations at one of its plants after a week-long labour dispute flared up again just days after the company resumed production at another Turkey plant.

Ford Otosan, in a statement late on May 25, said it had stopped production at the Inonu Plant as a precautionary measure after some of the workers who had been on strike did not leave the plant.

"Manufacturing operations at our Inonu Plant have been temporarily suspended until further notice," the statement said.

The dispute over working conditions and pay started late last week at factories in the northwest city of Bursa and spread to a number of parts suppliers in the area, where Turkey's auto industry in centred.

Workers said the dispute was sparked after union Turk Metal last month negotiated a 60 per cent wage hike for workers at a plant run by parts maker Bosch Fren, but failed to secure a similar deal elsewhere.

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