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The International Trade Union Confederation’s (ITUC) global rights index 2022 placed Turkey amongst the 10 worst countries for workers in the world.
The 10 worst countries are Bangladesh, Belarus, Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Eswatini (formerly named Swaziland), Guatemala, Myanmar, the Philippines and Turkey.
The index, documenting violations of internationally recognised labour rights by governments and employers, stated that Turkey is among countries ‘with no guarantee of rights’.
“Workers’ freedoms and rights continued to be relentlessly denied, including with police crackdowns on protests. Trade union leaders were arbitrarily arrested and their homes raided,” it observed.
“In addition, employers continued to engage in systematic union-busting by methodically dismissing workers who attempted to organise.”
The section on Turkey refers to two cases of violations of rights and a recent case in January 2022 at Farplas automotive factory, a supplier for Renault, FIAT, Toyota, Hyundai and Ford, is reported in detail.
At Farplas, 150 workers were dismissed by the employer upon halting work over a demand of wage increase, and when the workers responded with another strike, the factory was stormed by police who dispersed workers with pepper gas and arrested 108 workers, including two officials of the United Metalworkers’ Union. One worker had his leg broken, while two fainted during the police attack.
Another report involves the dismissal of 54 workers at ASD Laminat Factory in Turkey’s western province of Düzce as a result of their membership in the Turkish Wood and Paper Industry Workers’ Union.
According to ITUC, what characterises the situation in Turkey the most, is systematic union-busting, repression of strikes and arrests of trade unionists.
