A list of banned strikes during the AKP government

One could observe that the government is very employer-friendly. Bianet listed all the banned/postponed strike proposals since 2003.

Here are the banned strikes under the rule of the AKP:

• The first strike ban during the AKP era occurred on Jul 1, 2003, at Petlas Tire Industry and Trade Inc., where workers were represented by the Petrol-İş union.
• In Jul 2003, the government postponed a planned strike by Kristal-İş union members at Paşabahçe before it even began.
• After the ban was lifted, Paşabahçe workers resumed their strike in 2004, but it was once again postponed.
• On Mar 21, 2004, after collective bargaining negotiations failed, over 5,000 workers represented by Lastik-İş union declared a strike at 20 tire factories, including major producers like Pirelli, Goodyear, and Brisa. The strike was postponed by cabinet decision.
• On Sep 1, 2005, a strike involving 400 workers at Erdemir Mining, represented by Türkiye Maden-İş, was postponed.
• On Jun 27, 2014, a strike involving 5,800 workers at 10 glass factories under Şişecam, which had lasted eight days, was postponed on the grounds that it “posed a threat to public health and national security.”
• On Jul 21, 2014, a strike decision by the Türkiye Maden-İş union at Çöllolar Coal Field and Çayırhan Coal Operation was postponed.
• On Jan 30, 2015, the cabinet postponed a strike led by Birleşik Metal-İş across 22 factories employing 15,000 workers, including companies like Anadolu Isuzu, Demisaş Döküm, Federal Mogul, Sarkuysan, and Türk Prysmian Kablo, under the MESS group collective bargaining agreement.
• The first strike ban during the state of emergency (OHAL) came in 2017 at Asil Çelik, where a strike set to begin on Jan 18 was postponed.
• On Jan 20, 2017, another strike organized by Birleşik Metal-İş at workplaces affiliated with EMİS was also postponed.
• On Mar 20, 2017, a decision published in the Official Gazette postponed a planned strike at Akbank, citing its potential to “disrupt economic and financial stability.”
• On May 22, 2017, another Official Gazette announcement postponed a planned strike by Şişecam workers scheduled for May 24, claiming it “posed a threat to national security.”
• On Jun 5, 2017, a strike decision at Mefar Pharmaceuticals, taken after collective bargaining negotiations failed, was blocked by the cabinet, which deemed it “a threat to public health.”
• On Feb 2, 2018, a strike covering 130,000 workers under the MESS group collective agreement was postponed by a cabinet decision with the approval of President Erdoğan.
• On May 23, 2018, a strike decision by Petrol-İş union members at Soda Kromsan in Adana and Mersin was postponed by cabinet decision on the very day it was set to begin.
• On Jan 8, 2019, a strike at workplaces affiliated with İZBAN (İzmir Suburban Transportation System Inc.) was postponed by presidential decree.
• On Oct 8, 2020, a planned strike at two Şişecam factories where Petrol-İş is organized was postponed before it could start.
• In 2022, strike decisions by Birleşik Metal-İş and Özçelik-İş at two factories owned by Bekaert Steel in Kocaeli were postponed.
• On Jan 24, 2023, a strike by Schneider Energy workers was postponed by Erdoğan’s decision, citing it as a “threat to national security.”
• On Dec 14, 2024, strikes at facilities owned by Hitachi Energy, Grid Solutions, Schneider Electric in four provinces, and Arıtaş Cryogenics were also postponed. (VK)