Turkish stays firm on striking workers dismissals

Turkish Airlines has said it will not rehire the 305 workers who were laid off after last month participating in labour action to protest against the government's draft legislation to ban strikes and lockouts in the aviation industry.

Turkish Airlines chairman Hamdi Topçu was quoted in the Istanbul daily Radikal as saying the layoffs “Were the hardest decision of my life. But I had to apply the rules. The ordinance is still in effect. But I promised the president of the trade union Hava-İş to discuss it once again at the board of management,” he said.

Hava-İş members conducted a slowdown strike May 29, resulting in the cancelation of 223 flights and a loss of about $2 million, according to Topçu.

The law banning strikes and lockouts in the aviation industry went into effect earlier this week following President Abdullah Gül’s approval. The 305 workers took industrial action as part of a collective agreement with the union.

In his interview Topçu also said Turkish Airlines paid its cabin staff more than Germany’s Lufthansa.

The fast growing airline is seen as playing a key part in Turkey’s economic strength. It is said to create around $8.5 billion of the Turkish aviation industry’s total $12.5 billion in annual turnover.

The airline was also hit during the strike when “outside parties” hacked into the airline’s website. The airline is carrying out a full investigation. The cyber attack was conducted from abroad, according to the company, which has now taken action to expand the case to an international level.