"Turkish glass strike ban taken to ILO with official complaint", 24 Jul 2014

Glass workers union in Turkey, Kristal-İş, has lodged an official complaint against the Turkish government at the ILO, for violation of freedom of association, the right to collective bargaining, and the right to strike. The government issued a decree on 27 June to suspend for 60 days a major strike in the glass industry in Turkey, on the grounds of it constituting a risk to “public health and national security”. That move was a breach by the government of ILO Conventions 87 and 98 on Freedom of Association and Right to organise and collective bargaining...The legislation effectively bans the strike as it imposes compulsory arbitration following the 60-day suspension. The Turkish government uses the regressive law on a routine basis to stifle workers from exercising their right to strike. This was the ninth major strike stifled in this way by the government since year 2000. The government has never indicated a reason why any of the suspended glass worker strikes would be harmful to public health and national security.