Migrant Women from Turkey Led Labor Struggles in 1970s Berlin
Ayten Fırat and Remziye Ünal, Turkish migrant women working as cleaners in West Berlin, organized significant labor strikes in the 1970s despite facing discrimination and legal barriers. In February 1974, Fırat, then 28, joined a three-day strike that paralyzed the city: buses and trains stopped, garbage collection ceased, and mail delivery halted. She and a colleague went from school to school mobilizing other cleaners. Fırat, who normally worked 42 hours a week cleaning classrooms and hallways, put down her mop and joined the protest on the Straße des 17. Juni. The strike succeeded in securing wage increases and rights for the workers. Their stories highlight the role of solidarity and union engagement in labor struggles.
Key facts
- Ayten Fırat and Remziye Ünal were Turkish migrant women who led labor struggles in 1970s West Berlin.
- The strike occurred in February 1974 and lasted three days.
- Fırat worked as a cleaner at West Berlin schools, 42 hours per week.
- The strike shut down buses, trains, garbage collection, and postal services.
- Fırat and a colleague mobilized other cleaners by going from school to school.
- The protest took place on the Straße des 17. Juni.
- The strike resulted in wage increases and rights for the workers.
- Fırat was 28 at the time of the strike; she is now 80.
Entities
Artists
- Ayten Fırat
- Remziye Ünal
Locations
- West Berlin
- Straße des 17. Juni