ITF affiliate Turkish Civil Aviation Unions (Hava-İş) has announced it will take strike action on 15 May at every company owned by Turkish Airlines (THY).
The announcement follows several attempts by the union to negotiate with the company over the collective bargaining agreement and the reinstatement of 305 workers sacked when they protested against a proposed strike ban but THY has allegedly rejected the union’s proposals. Hava-İş announced on 10 April its intention to strike in May and announced the strike date on 3 May, in line with legal notice requirements.
The courts had already found in favour of 170 of the sacked workers and Hava-İş, which represents 14,000 workers at Turkish Airlines, urged the company to allow the rest to return to work. The union has already contacted leading businesses to alert them to the implications of strike action and to ask them to contribute to a solution to the dispute.
Hava-Is president Atilay Aycin commented: “Our demands in collective bargaining concern flight safety. Employees don’t want to work and fly when they are tired and rest periods have to be determined with scientific criteria. Part-time workers need to be included. Rights already earned need to be maintained. Workers don’t want to be fired when they are ill. And we insist that the unfairly fired 305 workers get their jobs back.”
He warned THY management that it would be responsible for all the problems over import and export, flight reservations and tourism which would occur even before the strike. He urged them: “Let’s negotiate again and solve these problems before the strike. Let’s find a way to please both sides.”
ITF civil aviation secretary Gabriel Mocho added: “Hava-Is have done all they can to avoid strike action and it is up to Turkish Airlines management to abandon its uncompromising stance and settle this dispute.”
