Worker silence in a turbulent neoliberal context: the case of mass privatisation of sugar factories in Turkey

Abstract

Silence in the context of work has different meanings across different settings. Turbulence induced by the privatisation of previously state-owned enterprises presents a curious setting to explore worker silence. Turning to worker silence in the process of mass privatisation of sugar factories in Turkey, we examine why workers remained silent while resenting privatisation. We reflect on the experiences and perceptions of workers in the privatisation of sugar factories in an unregulated neoliberal country, where macro-national and meso-institutional mechanisms enforce worker silence Drawing on 48 interviews with workers from sugar factories, we demonstrate that worker silence deepened in the process of privatisation. The study provides evidence that an unregulated form of neoliberalism worsens worker silence through three distinct mechanisms: dismissal of democratic demands, marketisation of everything and decline of solidarity. We extend these mechanisms with 13 different corresponding forms.