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Worker protests increased in 2017

A report on working-class protests reveals this week that in the first 6 months of 2017 there was an increase in worker protests in Turkey.

Worker protests increased in 2017

The Labour Working Group (ECT) made up of a group of researchers and academics published the ‘Report on Working Class Protests’. The Report covers the first half of 2017.

Special contract workers were the group that had participated or organised the most actions aimed at improving their rights at work. 46 of 76 protests were aimed at improving rights at work.  Public sector subcontractors and municipal authority incorporated companies had organised 7 protests in relation to rights at work, and of the 4 protests organised by public sector workers none related to rights at work. Civil servants only sought an improvement to their rights at work in 5 protests, this figure dropped to 3 in the case of private subcontractors.

In the period January to May 2015 there were 74 work place based protests, however this figure fell to 41 between June 2015 – July 2016, and then to 36 after July 2016. In the first 6 months of 2017 the general picture shows that in the first 6 months of the year there were 198 incidents of workplace based protests (437 individual actions), 18 incidents of solidarity protests (23 individual actions) and 122 general protests (136 individual actions). In 2017 the most protests took place in May. The number of protests reached their peak on 1 May 2017 on May Day, the day of solidarity, struggle and unity for the working class.

Of the protests that took place, 23% were in direct response to the “arbitrary dismissals, suspensions and exile of workers by statutory decree”. 18% were in response to job losses and a further 18% in response to pay cuts. 15% of protests related to contractual rights and 10% related to rights to unionisation.

TRADE UNIONS NOT INVOLVED IN 34% OF THE PROTESTS

34% of protests took place without any organisational backing and 36% of protests involved trade unions. 34% of protests there was no trade union organising the action.

9% OF PROTESTS RELATE TO SEVERITY PAY

51% of protests in 2017 related to 1 May (May Day). 15% of protests were recorded as solidarity protests and 10% were direct responses to worker’s health and death in work. There were only a limited number of protests in 2017 relating to important issues being faced such as transfer of severance pay to the fund, proposed law for agency workers and subcontracting. Whilst only 9% of protests were in opposition to the transfer of severance pay to the fund, only 1% of protests were against the proposed law on agency workers. The legislation was passed. (EVRENSEL DAILY)


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