TO BE OR NOT TO BE UNION BUSTING AND AVOIDANCE STRATEGIES IN TURKEY

Abstract

Trade union membership has been decreasing all over the world due to the different factors, such as shift from manufacturing sector to service sector, digitalisation and informalisation of the economy, changing nature of labour. Furthermore, legal restrictions and non-union policies of the states and employers also play an undeniable role for declining membership rates. Turkey, as a candidate country for the EU since 1960’s, is characterised by weak unionism, dominant state role in industrial relations as well as by hostile ideology towards unions. Both the loopholes in the legislative frameworks, and macro-economic and political structures pave the way for union resistant environment in Turkey. The paper aims to examine and discuss union busting and avoidance strategies in Turkey regarding with Roy’s (1980) and Gall’s (2004) classification, and country specific factors