Türkiye, EPSU Collective Bargaining News

A pay agreement for 2011 has been negotiated in the civil service but with only one union federation, Memur-Sen, supporting the increase. Both Kamu-Sen and KESK left the negotiations at different points in protest at the way they were being run by the government. KESK also wanted the negotiations postponed until after the referendum and the possibility that unions would have a clear right to strike if constitutional changes are agreed. The negotiations will deliver two 4% pay increases in each half of 2011 plus TL80 (€41) for all workers. [Read more at > Hurriyet news website (EN)->http://www

Global union organisations, including Public Services International, met with Turkish unions in September to discuss the latest situation in terms of trade union rights. While there had been some progress there were still major concerns and the constitutional change allowing for collective bargaining in the public sector had not yet been implemented through legislation. The global union federations issued a statement calling for an end to both government and private employer repression of trade union rights and an end to the constant threats against workers and union leaders seeking to use and

Despite threats of legal action from the government, unions representing doctors and other health workers were involved in protests on 19 January against proposed reforms to the health service. The changes will mean that doctors will lose their current right to work part-time in private institutions and this will mean a substantial cut in pay. The Hürriyet news website also carries an article outlining the urgent need for Turkey’s labour laws to be reformed because of the major and unfair restrictions imposed on trade unions. [Read more at > Hürriyet news website (EN)->http://www

The workers of the municipal company have been dismissed, all 276. In protest and to draw attention to the unacceptable behavior of the mayor they are walking all the way from Izmir to Ankara, a march of close to 30 days. They are supported by GENEL-Is. PSI and EPSU have intervened and sent messages of support. [Read more at > GENEL-IS (TK)->http://www.genel-is.org.tr/diger_incele.php?id=NDYx] [Or at > Google translation (EN)->http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=tr&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.genel-is.org.tr%2Fdiger_incele.php%3Fid%3DNDYx] [And at > EPSU (EN)->http://www.epsu.org/a

Over the next two weeks three Turkish union federations will be negotiating with various ministerial representatives in the Public Employers Board over the pay and conditions of 1.5 million government workers. Improving minimum rates and higher pay increases for the lowest paid workers are among the key demands of the three federations. All three will be organising various events and demonstrations in support of their claims. If a deal can't be reached within two weeks then a conciliation board made up of academics is brought in to find a way to conclude the negotiations. Federations are

A dispute over pay increases for civil servants in 2007 has reached the Cabinet after government negotiators failed to agree an increase. This followed the intervention of the National Reconciliation Board after direct negotiations between the government and trade unions ended without agreement. The National Reconciliation Board recommended two increases of 5% for civil servants in 2007 with lower paid civil servants getting two increases of 6%. The latest offer from the government was only two general increases of 3% with two of 4% for the lowest paid. [Read more at > Turkish Daily News

The annual round of negotiations in the civil service that normally take place in August could be delayed until after 12 September as some union organizations want to negotiate after the referendum on constitutional change. The changes being voted on in the referendum include important rights on trade union membership, the right to strike and right to negotiate collective agreements. In the current round of negotiations the KESK federation called for a TL300 (€156) increase in civil service pay to take the minimum salary to TL1650 (€856). [Read more at > Hurriyet news website (EN)->http://www

The Enerji Yapi-Yol Sen public sector union in Turkey has finally secured a ruling from the European Court of Human Rights over a Turkish government circular banning public servants from taking strike action. The Court press release says that the Court acknowledged that the right to strike was not absolute and could be subject to certain conditions and restrictions. However, while certain categories of civil servants could be prohibited from taking strike action, the ban did not extend to all public servants or to employees of State-run commercial or industrial concerns. In this particular

EPSU and PSI are backing a Labourstart campaign in support of the workers sacked by the Maltepe hospital in Istanbul. The workers had jointed a union and were campaiging for improvements in pay and conditions. The hospital sacked nearly 100 workers some of whom had been employed at the hospital for over 10 years. EPSU has written to the hospital management and the PSI general secretary Rosa Pavanelli visited the workers who have been carrying on their protest since early December. Read more here And at PSI And sign the online petition at Labourstart