Postponement of Legal Strikesin Turkish Labour law by the Government
Türk İş HukukundaYasal Grevlerin Hükümetçe Ertelenmesi
Ufuk AYDIN
Postponement of a legal strike by the government is an application derivated from the Taft-Hartley Act of USA, 1947. At the preparation sessions of the CASL Act No. 275 of 1963, there was a debate on the state judgement during a legal strike. After long sessions and debates, the Parliament passed the Act No. 275; pointing out the state authority to postpone a legal strike.
The CASL Act No. 2822 (1983) envisaged the postponement of a strike by the Council of The Ministers (CM) for the same reasons: general (national) health or national security. Interestingly, the TUCLR Act No.6356 which was put into force in 2012; instead of legislating away, kept the postponement of legal strikes application inside.
The Constitutional Court, in his decision (printed in 2015) ruled that
Despite word is “postponement”, it helps the government to ban the strikes, therefore the right to strike is questioning.
Postponement of a Legal Strike, TUCLR act no.6356 Which Was Put into Force in 2012, Postponement, General (National) Health or National Security.
1963 yılında kabul edilen 275 sayılı Toplu İş Sözleşmesi, Grev ve Lokavt Kanunu Bakanlar Kuruluna grev erteleme yetkisi tanımıştır. 1947 tarihli Amerikan Taft-Hartley Kanunundan esinlenerek Kanuna alınan bu yöntemle grevlerin sağlık ve güvenlik gerekçelerine dayanarak ertelenmesi mümkün hale gelmiştir.
1963 yılında 275 sayılı Kanunla başlayan uygulama, 1982 Anayasasında da yer bulmuş, 1983 yılında kabul edilen 2822 sayılı Toplu İş Sözleşmeleri, Grev ve Lokavt Kanunu sonrası ertelemeler hızlanarak devam etmiştir. 2012 yılında kabul edilen 6356 sayılı Sendikalar ve Toplu İş Sözleşmesi Kanunu da genel sağlık ve milli güvenlik gerekçeleriyle grev ertelemelerine imkân tanımayı sürdürmüştür.
Kavram “grev ertelemesi” iken; uygulamada, ertelenen bir grevin yeniden başlayamaması, ertelemeyi yasaklamaya dönüştürmüştür. Bu durumun ise grev hakkının özüne uygunluk bakımından sorgulanmayı gerektirdiği açıktır. Anayasa Mahkemesinin 2015 yılında yayımlanan kararıyla grev ertelemesine ilişkin hükmün iptal talebini reddetmesi grev hakkının uygulanmasını daha da zorlaştırmıştır.
Yasal Grevin Ertelenmesi, 2012 Yılında Kabul Edilen 6356 sayılı Sendikalar ve Toplu İş Sözleşmesi Kanunu, Grev Ertelemesi, Genel Sağlık ve Milli Güvenlik.
After some bans and restrictions on the right to strike, major changes happened in 1963 in Turkish Labor Relations. The period starting from 1963 can be defined as a period of “free collective bargaining with the right to strike.” Following the military coup d’etat in 1960, a new constitution was put into effect with a referendum in 1961. The new Constitution of 19611 established almost all of the collective labor rights including the right to organize trade unions, the right to bargain collectively and the right to strike as well. The Parliament passed two new acts in 1963 following this supreme legislation: Trade Unions Act No. 274 and Collective Agreements, Strikes and Lock-Outs Act (CASL Act) No. 275.2
Not surprisingly, this era witnessed the formation of some new organizations of both employees and employers.3 The new Labor Act No. 1475 came into force in 1971. The Act was harmonious with the collective labor laws No. 274 and No. 275 but kept the paternalistic philosophy of the traditional Turkish Labor Relations System.
Inflation in economy and growing political instability affected the Turkish industrial relations in the late 70s. In 1977 and 1979 there were very high levels of wild strike activity. More than 1,3 million work days were lost due to strikes during seven months of the year 1980. By September 1980, a horrifying surge of economic, social and political violence by the extremist partisans of both left and right compelled the army to intervene the government. Prior to this intervention the new military regime suspended the unions’ activities and banned strikes. Secondly, the Generals’ National Security Council put an Act No. 2364 in effect, which was named “Reactivation of Expired Collective Agreements in Cases of Social Necessity”.
