Trade Unions in Turkey

Workers in Turkey are denied their basic rights to organise in trade unions, to bargain collectively and to take strike action as a result of laws that breach international labour rights standards.

Large numbers of public employees do not have the right to join or form trade unions, to bargain collectively or to strike.

In the private sector the right to organise and form trade unions falls short of international standards. Severe penalties, including imprisonment, are possible for participation in strikes.

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has issued detailed guidance on how Turkey can bring its labour laws into line with the ILO Core Conventions on the right to organise, the right to strike and the right to bargain collectively in the public and private sector. But these reforms have yet to be implemented.

During 2011 Amnesty UK and Amnesty Turkey are joining together with Turkish trade unionists to campaign for the Turkish government to bring their labour laws in line with the ILO core conventions and in line with European Union labour rights standards.

 Watch this space!

Trade Union Struggles in Turkey: "Living Like a Tree"

Trade unionists in Turkey are facing increasing repression from employers and the state. This video produced by Brussels-based Protection International describes a number of these struggles. The film was launched in spring 2010.

Find out more:

A regular feature in our TU Alert magazine are our country labour rights profiles. In the Autumn 2009 issue we profiled Turkey. View the PDF here.

The International Trade Union Federation ITUC, publish an Annual Survey of Labour Rights Violations, you can read the Turkey chapter here.

Click here to visit the LabourStart Turkey page full of trade union news reports in English. For trade union news in Turkish click here.