Employee buyouts and industrial relations under employee ownership: A casestudy of Karabuk steel mill

This article examines the employee buyout process and industrial relations under employee ownership from a Turkish perspective based on the case study of the Karabuk steel mill. It suggests that external factors, namely gover nment support and strong community links, together with internal improvemen ts in management and union initiative have contributed to the viability of the employee buyout. Workers' attempts to take over ailing public enterpris es are a pragmatic response to industrial closure in order to save their jo bs. Neither the government nor the union and workers have paid attention to the issue of employee participation in decison-making. Union involvement i n management through the board seems not to have been well received by some union members because they identify union with management.