Since Jun
e 2012 aviation workers in Turkey have been in dispute with Turkish Airlines (THY) over their right to strike and the dismissal of 305 workers who took industrial action on May 29, 2012 to protest the government's plan to ban strikes in the aviation sector. Turkish Airlines responded by sacking these workers via text message and email. CLICK HERE TO SEND A MESSAGE TO TURKISH AIRLINES [1].
International solidarity and support from our sister international the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) to its affiliate Hava-Is, together with the determination of the workers to resist, has resulted in major wins: the ban on the right to strike has been withdrawn from aviation legislation and, to date, the labour courts have ruled in favour of more than 170 workers. However, THY, partly owned by the Turkish government, remains intransigent.
The company refuses to reinstate the 305 and to accept any bargaining proposals put forward by Hava-Is, the aviation workers' union. On 15 May 2013, determined THY workers commenced an indefinite strike action. We reported on a solidarity delegation from the IUF here [2].
This is a crucial time for aviation workers in Turkey as the strike continues and the workers involved and the union representing them are under huge pressure.
You can support the Turkish Airlines workers, CLICK HERE TO SEND A MESSAGE TO TURKISH AIRLINES [1], telling them to reinstate the dismissed workers and enter into good faith negotiations with Hava-Is, and to tell Turkey's Minister of Labour to act to ensure that THY respects its workers rights.
