Turkey (TR)

Employment
Wages
Working Time
Leave
Social Insurance
Health and Safety
Trade Union Influence
Minimum Standards
Trade Union Participation

Employment

In Turkey agriculture and forestry employ 700,000 full-time employees. About 1,000,000 workers are not registered, 522,000 registered workers are seasonal workers.

table International Comparison of Employment

The overwhelming number of the employees earn the minimum wage. Employees with higher qualification are paid under individual contracts. Employees pay 14 % of their wage as contributions to the welfare insurance, employers pay 20 % of the wage as welfare insurance contributions.

Another 1 % + 2 % are paid for unemployment insurance.

35,000 employees earn wages acc. to collective agreement.

table International Comparison of Wages and Labour Costs

Working Time

The weekly working time is 45 hours in a 6-day week.

Overtime bonuses are 50 % or as specified by the law.

table International Comparison of Working Time

Leave and Paid Holidays

Working life 1 - 5 years: 14 days; 5 - 15 years: 20 days; over 15 years: 26 days of annual holiday.

State companies pay a holiday allowance, for private companies holiday allowance is governed by collective agreements.

13 paid public holidays for trade union members.

table International Comparison of Leave and Paid Holidays

Social Insurance

The right to social security is anchored in the Turkish Basic Law. There are insurance bodies for workers, employees in state companies and self-employed persons. Family members are insured free of charge.

There is pension insurance, unemployment insurance, health insurance as well as maternity leave and maternity allowance.

Occupational Health and Safety

In 2005 there were 22 deaths in agriculture in Turkey.

table International Comparison of Occupational Health and Safety

Trade Union Influence

In agriculture there are two major trade unions organising the workers:

TARIM-IS (Orman-Topraksu- Tarim Ve Tarim Sanayii Iscileri Sendikasi) has about 35,000 members in the whole country. The union is a member of the umbrella organisation Türk-Is.

Tarim Orman Is has about 19,000 members and belongs to the umbrella organisation HAK-Is.

Both trade unions are allowed to conclude collective agreements. In agriculture and forestry the trade unions are exempt from the 10 % clause, i. e. this minimum degree of unionisation as a precondition for concluding collective agreements does not apply.

In one industry only the trade union with the largest number of members has the right to conclude collective agreements.

35,000 employees earn the collectively agreed wage.

The unions are well organised in state companies, and not as well in the private sector. The trade union reach is 10 % of the employees.

table International Comparison of Trade Union Influence

Minimum Standards

There is a statutory minimum wage. It is set by a commission for the determination of minimum wages. The Trade Union is represented in the commission.

table International Comparison of Minimum Standards

Trade Union Participation

There are company unions, but no in-company experts for health and safety at work. The Turkish unions participate in the social security systems and in the education system. They make statements to influence political decisions.

table International Comparison of Trade Union Participation

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