content tagged with right to strike

The strike which has been going on for about one month has been postponed for 60 days by a presidential decree. If a solution is not reached within this time, the workers will lose their right to strike.

"The government advertises Istanbul's new airport as the biggest in the world, but the prestige project has been marred by reports of accidents and arrests of protesting workers," says, Emma Sinclair-Webb, director of international human rights NGO HRW.

The Human Rights Foundation Turkey holds the government responsible for the latest violence excesses against striking workers and union members. The foundation described the recent incidents as a "standstill of the law".

The strike of public workers was supported by trade associations, workers' unions and left-wing organizations. In Istanbul, KESK president Evren criticised the government for avoiding the formation of a collective labour agreement board. In Ankara, the police employed force against the striking workers.

The right to strike and to collective agreements for public employees is stated by International Conventions and ECHR decisions. The government has delayed the corresponding legal amendments for years. The Public Workers' Union Confederation claims that the government tries to gain time and intends to maintain a low budget allocated to public workers.