ITF launches campaign for Turkish Airlines workers

6 July 2012
ITF launches campaign for Turkish Airlines workers

The ITF (International Transport Workers’ Federation) will launch a new campaign on Monday for the reinstatement of 305 sacked Turkish Airlines workers and the withdrawal of a swingeing new legal amendment that deprives aviation workers of the right to strike.

Turkey already has draconian laws that virtually outlaw what other countries regard as normal democratic trade union activities. Despite this, in May an amendment was proposed that would effectively ban all strikes by aviation workers. The proposer, a member of the ruling AKP party, later admitted that he was acting at the request of THY management. The legislation was rushed through in record time, despite international protests. Wanting to demonstrate against it, aviation workers who are members of the Hava-Is union went on a day’s sick leave – the only form of industrial action allowed to them. Three hundred and five of them were promptly and illegally sacked.

ITF general secretary David Cockroft commented: “These sackings have proved that what Turkish Airlines wants the Turkish government delivers – and vice versa. Our aim is clear, the reinstatement of these workers and the withdrawal of the new no strike amendment. The right to strike is a human right.”

ITF president Paddy Crumlin added: “There’s a clear attempt to make lawful trade unionism illegal in Turkey. This latest attack is targeting Hava-Is, and there’s little doubt that THY management and the government would like to see it destroyed. In the same month these sackings took place a vast police operation swooped down on KESK, the Turkish confederation of public workers’ unions, and the ITF affiliated BTS union, among others. Seventy-one trade unionists were arrested on extremely implausible terrorism related charges. There’s little doubt that the very existence of free trade unions in Turkey is under threat.”

ENDS

Background
Earlier this year a member of Turkey’s ruling AKP party proposed a bill to parliament that would deny civil aviation workers the widely internationally respected right to withdraw their labour. Turkey already has stringent legislation in place that hugely restricts normal workers’ and trade union rights. The proposal came as the Hava-Is trade union was about to embark on a lawful strike, following a breakdown in negotiations with Turkish Airlines (THY).

THY is run by the Turkish government and is a member of the Star Alliance group which brings together 27 airlines worldwide, including Air Canada, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines and US Airways.

The AKP government rushed the legislation through as an amendment that was passed on 30 May, approved by the president on June 2, and took effect on June 3.

Hava-Is members who wanted to protest against the proposed strike ban were left with little option for taking industrial action. So, before it came into force they took one day’s sick leave. In response THY sacked them by text message, phone or email. Three hundred and five of them lost their jobs. THY also plans to take Hava-Is to court in what the union believes is an attempt to destroy it.

The sacked workers and Hava-Is are continuing to protest against the airline’s attacks. It is clear that Turkey’s increasingly authoritarian government has no intention of respecting its international obligations when it comes to workers’ and union rights. Tellingly, the AKP member responsible for the strike ban recently admitted that he was acting under instructions from Turkish Airlines management.

Turkey and the European Court of Human Rights

Key points

• At the end of 2010, the Court had delivered 2,573 judgments concerning Turkey, of which 2,245 found at least one violation of the European Convention on Human Rights. In comparison, the UK and Romania have had 279 and 719 findings of violations respectively.
• In 2011, Turkey was involved in the highest number of judgments of all countries, for the third year running (174), which was 15% of all judgments. Turkey has had the highest number of judgments in each of the last three years.
• Turkey has incurred 352 million Turkish lira (£124m) in fines over the past 10 years, according to Turkish daily newspaper Hurriyet

General record

Turkey's record at the European Court of Human Rights is very poor. According to the Court's website
(http://www.echr.coe.int/ECHR/EN/Header/Press/Information+sheets/Country+profiles)

‘At the end of 2010, the Court had delivered 2,573 judgments concerning Turkey, of which 2,245 found at least one violation of the European Convention on Human Rights, primarily of Article 6 (right to a fair trial within a reasonable time) and Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 (protection of property), and 55 found no violation.’

Turkey's ECHR record compares very badly to its peers, such as

The UK
‘In total, by the end of 2011, the Court delivered 462 judgments concerning the United Kingdom, of which 279 found at least one violation of the European Convention on Human Rights and 95 found no violation.’

Or Romania
‘At the end of 2010, the Court had delivered 791 judgments concerning Romania, of which 719 found at least one violation of the European Convention on Human Rights, primarily of Article 6 (right to a fair trial) and Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 (protection of property), and 21 found no violation.’

The ILO (International Labour Organization) has determined that the freedom of association provisions of ILO Convention 87, which Turkey has ratified, implicitly include the right to strike as an essential means by which trade unions can protect the interests of workers. For more on ILO Convention 87 see www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=NORMLEXPUB:12100:3885036060788168::NO:12100:P12100_INSTRUMENT_ID:312232:NO

http://www.echr.coe.int/ECHR/EN/Header/The+Court/The+President/Press+conferences/PressConference2011.htm
2 http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-has-paid-350-million-fines-in-10-years-because-of-judicial-mistakes--.aspx?pageID=449&nID=23005&NewsCatID=405

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