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Demonstration over anti-union tactics at Turkish airline
19 February 2009
Civil aviation workers staged a mass protest in the Turkish capital yesterday to highlight a systematic campaign to undermine trade union rights.
Members of the ITF-affiliated aviation union Hava-Is – some 1000 of them - gathered at the entrance to Turkish Airlines’ (THY) hangar to voice their anger over company attacks on trade union rights. Mechanics, technicians and engineers at the airline’s maintenance division, THY Technical, have had their bargaining rights threatened by the company, following its liaison with a metalworkers’ union, Celik-Is, which does not represent the workers.
Chanting slogans denouncing management’s attitude and carrying placards bearing pro-union messages, the workers were demanding that their constitutional right to belong to a union be respected.
Hava-Is President Atilay Aycin, addressing the protestors, emphasised that “the main motive behind the recent attacks is to get rid of Hava-Is. They realise that they won’t be able to turn it into a meek organisation.” He denounced THY and THY Technical as well as the government for “relying on anti-union tactics rather than respecting core labour rights enshrined in the International Labour Organization Conventions 87, 98 and 158, all of which the Republic of Turkey has ratified.”
The issue is currently being investigated by Ministry of Labour and Social Security officials. If it decides in favour of management, Hava-Is will have the right to take the matter to court; however, it could take up to two years to resolve the case. This would leave workers without a pay rise in a country where inflation is high.
The anti-union attacks against Hava-Is are just the latest in a spate of measures to undermine trade union rights: two years ago, Forest Administration workers were forced to resign from their unions, while workers at a state-owned tea company faced similar pressure nine months ago.
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