Labour unions are legal in Turkey, and have been present since 1947. The Constitution of Turkey of 1982 affirms the right of workers to form unions “without obtaining permission” and “to possess the right to become a member of a union and to freely withdraw from membership” (Article 51).
Articles 53 and 54 affirm the right of workers to engage in collective bargaining and to strike, respectively.
However, Turkish unions do face certain restrictions. A union must represent at least 10% of Turkish employees to be recognized as a bargaining agent, and workers in the education, national defense, sanitation, and utilities industries are banned from striking.
