content tagged with labor

Mehmet Türkmen: A union leader behind bars after years of struggle

Mehmet Türkmen: A union leader behind bars after years of struggle

Türkmen, who has led textile workers' resistance in Antep, was arrested last month.

Company manager sentenced for obstructing union rights

Company manager sentenced for obstructing union rights

A biogas company executive was sentenced to prison, but the sentence was later converted into a monetary fine.

3 March 2025 Hikmet Adal

Diyar Saraçoğlu

'Traditional unions struggle to understand tech sector'

Q&A WITH SIMONE ROBUTTI OF TECH WORKERS COALITION

'Traditional unions struggle to understand tech sector'

"Ultimately, tech organizing is still evolving, with workers adapting traditional methods to the unique challenges of the industry."

26 February 2025 Diyar Saraçoğlu

Union leader arrested amid Antep labor protests

Union leader arrested amid Antep labor protests

Mehmet Türkmen's arrest comes amid protests by textile workers in Antep over disputes regarding low wage increases.

17 February 2025

Thousands of KFC, Pizza Hut workers in Turkey unpaid amid debt restructuring

Thousands of KFC, Pizza Hut workers in Turkey unpaid amid debt restructuring

Workers have started protests in various cities demanding their receivables.

11 February 2025 Abbas Vural

Share of working class in Turkey’s population grows over 50 years while unionization declines

Share of working class in Turkey’s population grows over 50 years while unionization declines

According to the latest statistics, the number of registered workers in Turkey reached 16 million in 2024. Including unregistered labor, the total workforce in the 2020s is estimated to be around 22-24 million, making up nearly 28% of the population. However, the unionization rate has dropped to half of its 1970s level of 25-30%, now standing at 15%.

29 January 2025

Metal workers defy Erdoğan’s strike ban after failed negotiations

Metal workers defy Erdoğan’s strike ban after failed negotiations

About 1,500 workers working at several factories continue their strike despite a presidential decree.

16 December 2024

Miners on hunger strike protesting layoffs detained in Ankara

Miners on hunger strike protesting layoffs detained in Ankara

The mining company owned by a ruling party MP laid off dozens of workers after they unionized. The workers have been protesting since then.

16 October 2024

Layoffs, workplace harassment follow deadly explosion at Sakarya pasta factory

Layoffs, workplace harassment follow deadly explosion at Sakarya pasta factory

Five workers were killed in the September explosion in the factory in northwestern Turkey. While an investigation into the incident is still underway, the Oba Makarna company has reportedly downsized its quality control department and workers are facing implicit blame for the blast.

15 October 2024 Hikmet Adal

Are couriers dangerous, or is the courier profession itself?

Are couriers dangerous, or is the courier profession itself?

By disregarding the principle of objectivity and honesty in journalism, associating couriers only with negative incidents and treating isolated cases as if they were widespread could create deep distrust in society toward the motorcycle courier profession and those who work in it.

29 September 2024 Mesut Çeki

Construction workers' strike in Tanzania ends with gains

Construction workers' strike in Tanzania ends with gains

Workers of a Turkey-based company had been on a strike in Tanzania for two weeks for their unpaid wages.

18 August 2023 Vecih Cuzdan,Ali Dinç

182 workers killed on the job in July

182 workers killed on the job in July

At least 1051 workers were killed on the job in the first seven months of 2023.

Protest unfolds at Muğla thermal power plant as workers demand unpaid wages

Protest unfolds at Muğla thermal power plant as workers demand unpaid wages

Over 500 non-union workers blocked the entry and exit of the power plant to protest their employers.

Motorcycle couriers protest online delivery giant Getir over low wages

Motorcycle couriers protest online delivery giant Getir over low wages

Workers formed a convoy and arrived at the company's İstanbul headquarters to demand higher wage increases and a range of other requests.

Turkey remains among 10 worst countries for workers' rights

Turkey remains among 10 worst countries for workers' rights

"Throughout 2023, workers' freedoms and rights were relentlessly attacked, with law enforcement cracking down on protests and trade union leaders facing unjust arrests," the ITUC report says.

Unions want tax bracket update in the face of high inflation

Unions want tax bracket update in the face of high inflation

Employees earning slightly more than the minimum wage end up earning less than the minimum wage as the year progresses, two union confederations have pointed out.

TurkStat: Turkey’s unemployment rate stands at 11.5 percent

TurkStat: Turkey’s unemployment rate stands at 11.5 percent

According to official figures, the narrowly defined number of unemployment became 3 million 894 thousand in March.

'Women's labor force participation in Turkey lower than any European country'

'Women's labor force participation in Turkey lower than any European country'

Despite the trend of increase in the number of women employees in recent years, women's participation in the labor force is still low, says TEPAV.

Worker protests in Turkey: 65 strikes in 40 days

Worker protests in Turkey: 65 strikes in 40 days

Workers have been protesting against low wage rises amid high inflation.

16 February 2022

‘Does Ministry of Labor make any attempts to learn from workers what they want?’

HDP TO MINISTER

‘Does Ministry of Labor make any attempts to learn from workers what they want?’

HDP Adana MP Tülay Hatimoğulları has addressed a Parliamentary question to Minister of Labor and Social Security Bilgin regarding the workers’ protests ongoing across Turkey for the past month.

10 February 2022

Labor rights | 250 resisting workers dismissed from warehouse of Migros market chain

Labor rights | 250 resisting workers dismissed from warehouse of Migros market chain

“The workers demanding their daily bread are now deprived of it as well. We know this force, we know this obtrusiveness. Today, workers all across Turkey are resisting it,” said the Chair of Warehouse, Port, Dock and Maritime Workers Union.

10 February 2022

beIN Media Turkey registers journalists as 'marine workers' to prevent unionization

beIN Media Turkey registers journalists as 'marine workers' to prevent unionization

There are formally five different companies within the Digitürk platform and none of them were registered as media companies, bianet has learned.

3 February 2022 Hikmet Adal

Workers throughout Turkey protest low wage hikes amid high inflation

Workers throughout Turkey protest low wage hikes amid high inflation

Gig workers of e-commerce companies, journalists and factory workers continue protests.

3 February 2022

BBC journalists continue Turkey's first media strike in 13 years

BBC journalists continue Turkey's first media strike in 13 years

The strike continues amid cold and snow in İstanbul. We have visited the BBC journalists.

26 January 2022 Hikmet Adal

Household income of 59 percent of public employees below poverty line, finds union survey

Household income of 59 percent of public employees below poverty line, finds union survey

Financial difficulties, mobbing, favoritism and job insecurity are among the main problems of public employees, according to the KESK survey.

Average wages in foodservice, construction sectors lower than minimum wage in Turkey

DİSK-AR

Average wages in foodservice, construction sectors lower than minimum wage in Turkey

The minimum wage is becoming the average wage in the country, the DİSK-AR noted.

30 December 2021

Journalists in Turkey struggle with wage erosion, unemployment

TURKISH JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION

Journalists in Turkey struggle with wage erosion, unemployment

"At the start of my career, I was earning four times the minimum wage despite only two years of experience. Now I've been working for 22 years and earn 1.5 times the minimum wage," says a journalist.

29 December 2021

Turkey raises minimum wage by 50 percent amid currency crisis, high prices

Turkey raises minimum wage by 50 percent amid currency crisis, high prices

The government has raised the minimum monthly wage from 2,825 lira to 4,250 lira for the next year.

16 December 2021

Report: Minimum wage meeting delayed due to lira's rapid slide

Report: Minimum wage meeting delayed due to lira's rapid slide

The minimum wage commission was expected to convene at the start of the week.

14 December 2021

'Turkey is becoming a country of minimum wage earners'

DİSK-AR

'Turkey is becoming a country of minimum wage earners'

As the government is poised to determine next year's minimum wage, the DİSK-AR points out the decrease in the income of weakness.

2 December 2021

Labor share in GDP decreased despite high growth rate

Labor share in GDP decreased despite high growth rate

While Turkey recorded an annual growth rate of 21.7 percent, the labor share in the GDP continued to decline.

1 September 2021

Turkey has the highest share of population outside labor force in Europe

Turkey has the highest share of population outside labor force in Europe

Some 45 percent of the people in the 15-64 age group in Turkey are neither employed nor looking for work.

23 June 2021 Hikmet Adal

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