Life, Memory, and Freedom Association (Yaşam Bellek Özgürlük Derneği) published their report, “Monitoring Report on the Violations against Right to Organize in Labour Union” with the support of Etkiniz.
Below you can read the executive summary of the report, originally published in Turkish:
The report encompasses the results of the monitoring work conducted by Yaşam Bellek Özgürlük Derneği (Life, Memory, and Freedom Association). The monitoring report aims to collect evidence on the freedom of association of workers who work at Eskişehir facilities of Reysaş Taşıt Muayane İstasyonları İşletim A.Ş (Reysaş) which is a national automobile maintenance company. The monitoring report is also about business and human rights since it links business activities with international human rights standards on labour rights.
The monitoring activity commenced based on the allegations from workers who had been dismissed by Reysaş right after they have become a member of DİSK Nakliyat-İş, a major labour union. Members of the Human Rights Monitoring Group of Yaşam Bellek Özgürlük Derneği visited the protesting workers during the protests against the company, interviewed with representatives of the labour union and workers. They also monitored court hearings about the case. Moreover, they have recorded the public gatherings, protests, and press meetings based on the approval of the workers.
Yaşam Bellek Özgürlüğü Derneği submitted a request for support from Etkiniz to involve experts to the monitoring process. Two experts mobilised by Etkiniz developed two interim reports on the judicial process and protests. This final report is a combination and compiling of these two interim reports.
Although Yaşam Bellek Özgürlük Derneği received credible information that the same situation of firing of workers happened in Kastamonu, Tosya, Karabük, Bartın, Zonguldak and Ereğli facilities of Reysaş, the organisation could not effectively investigate the claims because of Covid-19 limitations. Therefore, these claims were excluded from this monitoring report.
The report content includes the following sections:
- Introduction
- Methodology
- Institutions in the Report
- Findings
- Legal Framework on Freedom of Association and Labour Rights
- Identified Human Rights Violations regarding the Freedom of Association and Labour Rights
- The Position of Courts regarding the Allegations
- Legal Framework on Right to Peaceful Assembly
- Identified Human Rights Violations regarding the Right to Peaceful Assembly
- Conclusions
The report finds extensive human rights violations against the workers both in terms of freedom of association and right to peaceful assembly. The report also confirms no violence or call for violence occurred during the protests, although the security forces disproportionately limited the workers against the recommendations of the European Court of Human Rights. The report also underlines the courts failed to implement the national and international standards on human rights in the hearings and decisions.