AKP banned 20 strikes in 20 years
The strike at the Schneider Energy factory in Kocaeli has been postponed for 60 days in accordance with the president’s decision. This decision was the 20th strike ban decision taken during the AKP rule.
The United Metal-İş Union announced that workers at the Schneider Energy factory in Kocaeli went on strike starting at 10:00 yesterday due to a lack of agreement in collective bargaining. However, the strike was postponed with the decision published in the Official Gazette that evening.
Regarding the strike, which was postponed for 60 days, it was stated in the Official Gazette that “It was decided to postpone the strike decision taken by United Metal-İş Union for 60 days, as it was considered to disturb national security, in accordance with article 63 of the Law on Unions and Collective Bargaining No. 6356”.
THE PROHIBITION DID NOT WORK IN BEKAERT
The strike ban imposed on Schneider Energy workers became the 20th strike ban in the AKP period. Finally, in December, the Bekaert strike in Kocaeli was banned. However, in the Bekaert strike, the workers continued to strike despite the ban, and the strike resulted in profits.
The employer, which threatened to fire the workers without compensation for calling the strike illegal, increased its proposed 50 percent raise rate for the first 6 months to 84.83 percent.
HOW IS THE STRIKE DELAYED?
In accordance with the Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Strike and Lockout Act, if a legal strike or lockout that has been decided or initiated is detrimental to general health or national security, the strike may be postponed for 60 days per presidential decree.
However, according to the law, postponed strikes cannot be restarted after the 60-day postponement period. If the parties cannot reach an agreement within the postponement period, the dispute is resolved by the Supreme Board of Arbitration (YHK). Therefore, the postponement of the strike means a de facto strike ban.
On the other hand, the unions criticize the concept of ‘disturbing national security’ and argue that these strikes, which are not in strategic sectors such as the defense industry, have nothing to do with national security, and that this law is used as an excuse. for the ban on strikes.
195 THOUSAND PEOPLE DENIED THE RIGHT TO STRIKE
During the AKP period, 19 strikes were postponed for similar reasons. With the postponed strikes at Schneider Energy, this number has risen to 20. Furthermore, with this ban, approximately 195,000 workers were deprived of their right to strike during the AKP period.
While most strike bans were in the metal sector during the AKP period, the union whose strike was most banned was Birle Metal Is.
STRIKE DELAYED DURING AKP PERIOD
The AKP’s postponed strikes were as follows:
– 2003: Petlas AS (Oil Es)
– 2003: Şişecam (Crystal Business)
– 2004: Şişecam (Crystal Business)
– 2004: Prielli, Good year, Brisa (Rubber work)
– 2005: Erdemir Madencilik (T.Madenİş)
– 2014: Şişecam (Crystal Business)
– 2014: Çayırhan and Çöllolar Coal Process. (T. Mining Business)
– 2015: Collective Bargaining Agreement of the MESS Group (United Metal Is)
– 2017: Asil Çelik (United Metal Business)
– 2017: Emis Group (United Metallurgical Business)
– 2017: Akbank (Banksis)
– 2017: Şişecam (Crystal Business)
– 2017: Meraf İlaç (Oil Business)
– 2018: MESS Group (United Metal Is, Türk Metal, Çelik Is)
– 2018: Soda Kroman-Şişecam (Kristal İş)
– 2019: Izban (Railway Business)
– 2020: Soda Sanayi AŞ (Oil)
– 2022: Bekaert (United Metal Business)
– 2022: Bekaert (Öz Çelik İş)
– 2023: Schneider Energy (United Metal Business)