As you all know our collective-bargaining talks with Turkish Airlines, management has entered into a very crucial area.

On March 19, THY management and our union recorded in a report that the parties have failed to come to an agreement on 38 out of 108 of the points under negotiation.

To put it plainly, unfortunately, collective-bargaining talks are heading towards a deadlock.

During the talks, employer side offered a meager 3 percent nominal wage increase for 2011 and 2012. This is even lower than the targeted inflation rate, and this situation disturbs our members. Moreover, THY management is also asking for many concessions, including a reduction of days off for pilots and crew members.... Read more...

As the President of Hava-Is I have deep concerns about the new draft Collective Labour Relations Law.

The draft law, which will replace the Trade Unions Law and the Collective Labour Agreement, Strike and Lock-out Act, has been sent to cabinet ministers prior to being submitted to parliament.

The amendments as a whole “do not meet the democratic test of the free exercise of fundamental trade union rights, the right to organise, the right to collective bargaining and the right to strike.” Many of the draft law’s provisions breached International Labour Organization (ILO) standards and European Union (EU) norms.

Provisions include suggestions that there should be a three per cent sector threshold for trade unions to qualify for collective bargaining. As a result almost 60 per cent of unions will lose their right to collective bargaining. Under ILO principles, there should be no sector thresholds for trade unions. A trade union will also have to represent at least 40 per cent of the workforce.... Read more...

Dear non-Turkish speaking members of Hava-Is,

In Turkey, the first step of a collective-bargaining agreement (CBA) is the application of a trade union to the Ministry of Labour and Social Security of the Republic of Turkey for statement of authority.

The Ministry examines whether the applicant trade union has the 10 percent of the workers of the relevant sector nationwide on which the trade union is established, and whether the majority of the workers (50 percent+1) in the workplace for which the agreement will be signed are members of the trade union.

This examination is conducted with regard to the application date. However, as you have experienced at first hand, the procedure to obtain authorization for collective bargaining is very long and cumbersome that it is often very difficult to make full use of this right.... Read more...

Airline disputes are widening in different parts of the world.

Nowadays, our sisters and brothers at Qantas and at Philippine Airlines are boldly stepping up their fight against outsourcing aiming to shed jobs, reduce conditions and wages.

For instance, baggage handlers organized in the Transport Workers Union went on strike on Tuesday of this week, to fight against the airline's plans to lay off some 1000 workers. The strike led to cancellations and delays throughout the Qantas network.

Furthermore, Qantas aircraft engineers organized by the Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association have publicized that they are going to step up strikes and bans as of October 10.

The major issue for both Australian unions is guarantees of security of employment, in the face of Qantas management’s efforts to outsource jobs. Needless to say, the airline management wants to reduced wages and conditions of course.... Read more...

Esteemed members of Hava-Ýþ,

It is common in Turkey for employers to thwart the union recognition process with frivolous appeals in order to block workers' their legitimate workplace rights.

Employers can do this quite easily, just by latching on to anti-democratic trade union and labour laws.

Five years ago Turkish Airlines and Turkish Technic started to resort to this tactic. Last time (three years ago) they managed to postpone the process for 10 months in THY and two years in Turkish Technic.... Read more...

The European Commission is expected to publish its proposal for a revised Ground Handling Directive later this year.

This proposal aims to deregulate and liberalise the market of ground handling services in airports even further.

This means that jobs are at risk as are the hard-fought rights and labour conditions of Ground Handling workers.... Read more...

The ongoing radiation crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant has revealed many important realities that are unknown to Turkish public. Now we all know that safety procedures are inadequate even in a country like Japan. But also now we realized that the industry has been employing untrained and low-paid casual labourers; in the name of cost cutting of course!

These workers undertake the most dangerous and physically demanding duties. For example at the Fukushima plant, 89 percent of the 10,303 workers were contractors, subcontractors and sub-subcontractors. Needless to say their wages and conditions were generally far worse than those of regular employees.... Read more...

I am sure you all remember “Sully”. On January 15, 2009 Captain Sullenberger piloted US Airways Flight 1549, steering the Airbus A320 to a dramatic landing on the Hudson River near Manhattan after a bird strike resulted in a loss of power in both engines. He rescued 150 passengers and five crew members’ lives.

But do you also remember his speech before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee? In his speech Sullenberger, presented a devastating account of the deteriorating conditions facing commercial pilots and other airline employees, as well as the grave dangers posed to air safety and the flying public.

Below you will find extracts from his speech.

"I love my profession; I do not like what has happened to it. I would not be doing my duty if I did not report to you that I'm deeply troubled about its future. Americans have been experiencing huge economic difficulties in recent months, but airline employees have been experiencing those challenges and more for eight years.... Read more...