A controversial legal amendment that effectively removes the weekly rest day for tourism sector workers was officially enacted today following the president's approval and publication in the Official Gazette.
Under the new regulation, tourism workers employed at licensed lodging facilities will now be required to work up to 10 consecutive days before becoming eligible for a weekly rest day. During this extended period, no overtime compensation will be provided.
The amendment permits employers to postpone an employee’s weekly day off by up to four days with the worker’s written consent. However, the regulation clearly states that work performed during this time will be considered regular hours and not subject to overtime pay.
Constitutional rights
Gökhan Aslan, general secretary of the DİSK Progressive Tourism Workers (Dev Turizm-İş) union, criticized the change for disregarding workers’ constitutional right to rest. He called the new law a significant step backward for employees in the tourism sector.
“As a result of this rushed legal amendment, the constitutional right to rest has been substantially eroded,” he told bianet. “The 6+1 rest day arrangement, which all tourism workers currently rely on, is now under threat.”
Aslan described the measure as a “pro-capital move” and argued that precarious employment, workplace accidents, and unregistered labor, which are already prevalent in the tourism sector, would increase further.
He attributed the ease with which the legislation passed to the lack of union organization in the industry.
‘Workers are paying the price for the crisis’
Aslan said the amendment was not only a legal decision but also a political one, adding that business owners were seeking to reduce costs in response to rising inflation and falling demand.
“In tourism, personnel costs are the first to be cut,” he said. “This law is a direct result of that trend.”
He warned that rather than boosting employment, the regulation would further expand informal labor practices.
‘Ministry protects employers’
The debate surrounding the new rule has been further fueled by the fact that Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy is the owner of one of Turkey's largest tour companies. Aslan accused the minister of using his position to support changes that favor employers at the expense of workers, saying, “The minister, coming from the industry, is consciously and actively supporting these changes."
Aslan argued that the new law violates not only Turkey’s labor law but also the constitutionally protected right to rest and international labor agreements to which Turkey is a party. “This is a step that could pave the way for similar practices in other sectors,” he said. (HA/VK)
