Dozens of THY employees go on strike despite parliament ban
Dozens of employees from Turkey’s national flag-carrier Turkish Airlines went on strike Thursday, a day after parliament passed a controversial bill to ban strikes in the aviation sector.
The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP)-dominated parliament passed the bill late Wednesday a after heated debate.
“Many employees went on strike at 0300 GMT to protest the new law and they will not start working until 2000 GMT today,” Mustafa Yagci, secretary-general of the aviation workers’ union Hava-Is, told AFP on Thursday. “This protest will be unlimited and continue every day,” he said.
Hava-Is called for the government to scrap the law.
They were also unhappy at what they regarded as a hostile Turkish Airlines management which they blamed for the collapse of a collective bargaining agreement with the government.
The bill now must be signed into law by the president.
On Tuesday, a walk out by Turkish Airlines staff caused the cancellation of more than 200 flights.
The airline fired 300 strikers who did not show up at work and had no justification for their absence, terming the strike “illegal activity”, said Yagci but the information was not confirmed by the company.
Turkish Airlines has a fleet of 178 planes and has another 55 on order. It serves 218 destinations worldwide.
01.06.2012
SOURCE: CUMHURIYET ENGLISH
