The Turkish government has filed criminal charges against 111 union leaders, members and supporters which carry prison terms of up to 5 years in connection with a 2010 demonstration in Ankara. The Ankara action was in support of 12,000 workers made redundant overnight following the privatization of the state tobacco monopoly TEKEL.
The indictments are an attempt to weaken the labour movement in Turkey by criminalizing protest action in defense of employment and social rights. Labour law in Turkey already severely restricts organizing and bargaining rights. More details here, and IUF campaign here.
And on April 4, 2011, all Birlesik Metal-IS union members at the MAS-DAF Makina Sanayi factory were fired, a total of 110 workers. Since that time workers have held simultaneous pickets outside the factory gates in Duzce and at MAS-DAF headquarters in Istanbul. The mass dismissals come just months after the same company attempted to undermine union organizing efforts in August 2010 by firing 22 of the union’s strongest supporters when the trade union applied for authorisation to the Labour Ministry. More info here.
The Turkish government has filed criminal charges against 111 union leaders, members and supporters which carry prison terms of up to 5 years in connection with a 2010 demonstration in Ankara. The Ankara action was in support of 12,000 workers made redundant overnight following the privatization of the state tobacco monopoly TEKEL.
The indictments are an attempt to weaken the labour movement in Turkey by criminalizing protest action in defense of employment and social rights. Labour law in Turkey already severely restricts organizing and bargaining rights. More details here, and IUF campaign here.
And on April 4, 2011, all Birlesik Metal-IS union members at the MAS-DAF Makina Sanayi factory were fired, a total of 110 workers. Since that time workers have held simultaneous pickets outside the factory gates in Duzce and at MAS-DAF headquarters in Istanbul. The mass dismissals come just months after the same company attempted to undermine union organizing efforts in August 2010 by firing 22 of the union’s strongest supporters when the trade union applied for authorisation to the Labour Ministry. More info here.
