News online
ITF translations available: Deutsch, Español, Français, Svenska
Google free translation: Italiano, Norske, Português, Türk, 中国的, 한국의, Bahasa Melayu, ภาษาไทย, हिंदी, اردو,
தமிழ், Kiswahili, Русский, العربية
May Day to be a national holiday in Turkey
23 April 2009
The ITF has welcomed the news that the Turkish government is to declare May Day a national holiday. A bill was put forward in Parliament yesterday.
While applauding the news, the ITF also warned that further efforts were needed to ensure that trade union rights were respected. ITF inland transport section secretary Mac Urata said: “Although we welcome the government’s initial move to make May Day a national holiday, we are still waiting for international labour standards on the freedom of association, collective bargaining and the right to strike, which the Turkish government has ratified, to be implemented. There are several serious cases, involving ITF affiliates where these rights are violated.”
At the beginning of this month, the ITF urged unions to send a protest email to the Turkish government demanding that they make 1 May a national holiday and allow May Day to be celebrated peacefully. This was in response to a request from the ITF-affiliated unions Hava-Is and Tumtis.
Turkish unions, including their three national labour centres - TURK-IS, DISk and KESK - have pledged to celebrate May Day this year at Taksim Square in Istanbul. The square is symbolic of Turkish unions’ struggle for their rights after 36 trade unionists died at the hands of the security forces during May Day celebrations in 1977. At last year’s celebrations, security forces used gas, water canons and batons to disperse trade unionists.
The ITF will be sending representatives to Istanbul to celebrate May Day along with other trade unionists.
Back to current news online stories
view larger image
