ITF campaign backing for Turkish aviation union
July 13, 2012
The ITF has officially launched a campaign backing a Turkish aviation union’s struggle to reverse a ban on the right to strike and to reinstate more than 300 dismissed workers.
The campaign, which was launched this week, will prompt unions from across the world to support members of the ITF-affiliated Hava-Is, who have been targeted by a new legal amendment depriving the workers of the right to strike. Their Turkish Airlines employer also sacked 305 workers for taking part in a “sick leave” action in protest over the oppressive amendment.
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.”
On 5 July, Andrej Hunko, a deputy of the German Bundestag from Germany’s left-wing party Die Linke and member of the parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe, visited Ataturk International Airport in Istanbul to show solidarity with the workers. Austrian and German MEPs also raised the issue at European level when they tabled a question in the European Parliament on 14 June.
More recent actions have included visits by unionists in Poland and Thailand to the Turkish embassy to raise their concerns and submit protest letters and a petition-signing drive across Austria, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland. Elsewhere, unionists in countries such as Germany, Brazil, Ethiopia and Germany are arranging approaches to Turkish government representatives locally.
On 12 July, Cockroft and ITF president Paddy Crumlin, along with Sharon James of the ITF’s civil aviation section and Rhys McCarthy and Erkan Ersoy of the UK’s Unite union met with officials at the Turkish embassy in London to raise concerns and highlight the importance of the campaign.
Visit the ITF campaign sitewhere you can find details about sending protest and appeal letters and more information.