Union Denied Authorization for Hürriyet Newspaper After Mass Dismissal

Click to read the article in Turkish

The Journalists Union of Turkey (TGS) has released a statement after it was not granted a document of authorization for carrying out activities at the daily Hürriyet, which recently dismissed 45 employees.

The TGS has long been active at Hürriyet Journalism and Printing Inc., the statement said and noted that the union, with a working majority, formally applied to the ministry.

CLICK - Firings Continue at Hürriyet Newspaper

"In the response of the Ministry regarding the determination of authority, it was claimed that the majority required for authorization was not reached because Hürriyet has 940 employees," TGS Chair Gökhan Durmuş said, reading the statement.

"The change in the number of Hürriyet employees in the period from November 4, when the official letter was sent to the Ministry for authorization, to November 11, the date on the response letter of the Ministry, needs explanation."

Hürriyet dismissed 45 employees on October 30 and 31. The TGS stated on October 31 that 43 of its members were sacked.

How did the number of employees change?

Durmuş added that they acquired the information on the number of employees from the "Electronic State" system, which, according to him, showed that the numbers of employees and unionized employees suspiciously changed between the mentioned dates.

"Why were the monthly reports, which are released on the first or second day of each month, were released 11 days later in November? What would be the number of employees of Hürriyet if the reports were announced in the usual period?

"Is it just a coincidence that the dates of release of the ministry's response to us and the reports on kamu.turkiye.gov.tr, titled, 'Sector Workplace List' and 'Union Members List' are the same?

CLICK - Hürriyet Employees: We are Fired Because We are Unionized

"Did the ministry waited for the release of monthly reports to respond to our request for authorization? I so, does this indicate that there is ill will against the freedom of unionization?"

There was also a contradiction between the figures of the ministry and the e-state, with the former saying Hürriyet had 940 employees and the latter said it was 938, Durmuş noted.

He further said that the company must explain why it hired 100 employees at the same time when it dismissed 45 employees.

Hürriyet, founded in 1948, is one of the major newspapers in Turkey. Pro-government Demirören Group bought the parent company of Hürriyet, Doğan Media Group, in March 2018. (AS/VK)