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New Turkish law deals blow to unions

Turkey's unionized workforce has dropped from 57.5% to 9.6% over the past decade, with Ankara offering weak solutions to the problem, including a hotline where workers can report their bosses.
Members of trade unions chant slogans against Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan as they march at Taksim Square in Istanbul June 5, 2013. Turkish trade unionists marched into an Istanbul square on Wednesday, joining unprecedented protests against Erdogan over what they see as his authoritarian rule. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis (TURKEY - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS BUSINESS EMPLOYMENT) - RTX10CIK
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The working class in Turkey is being redesigned. The government has laid the foundations for a new kind of worker who is de-unionized, defenseless and will act as an informant. The subcontracting system, which encourages de-unionization, has expanded into many fields, including health care and municipal services.

The 18 miners who perished in last month’s tragic accident in Ermenek did not belong to trade unions. Trade unions are off-limits, especially for workers in small enterprises, where they can easily be fired if they attempt to join.

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