When negotations on a Group Contract of the Trade Union of Turkish Journalists (TGS) within the Turkuvaz Media Group stalled and a strike was decided on, the Group dismissed 10 of the strikers.

Among those dismissed are Mete Öztürk, a journalist for Sabah newspaper’s sports service and trade union representative, as well as Ender Ergün, a journalist for the Forbes magazine who had taken his employer to court for obstructing trade union activities.

Court case and continuing strike

Ercan İpekçi, president of the TGS,  told bianet on 18 February that they had found out about the dismissals the evening before. He said as soon as the decision was announced officially, they would go to court.

He estimated a trial period of one to one and a half years, and announced that the strike would continue during this time.

İpekçi called on other journalists and labour organisations to condemn these dismissals. He further said that the employer had claimed that the trade union’s authorisation was limited to the Central ATV Television Production Company. However, so İpekçi, when employers were called for negotations, they had called the Turkuvaz Radio Television News Reporting and Publishing Joint Stocks Company, which had then taken over.

When negotiations between TGS and this company ended in disagreement, the decision to strike was taken in two workplaces in Istanbul and one in Ankara. It started on 13 February.

The trade union has announced in writing that this strike is legal and legitimate under Law 2822 concerning Collective Contracts and Lock-Outs. (EÖ/AG)