Employer files complaint, striking Sputnik employees summoned to police station

Sputnik Turkey office employees have surpassed 140 days of their strike, which began after the Journalists Union of Turkey (TGS) announced a strike decision following the dismissal of journalists.

The journalists were summoned to the police station to give statements following a complaint by the employer. The reason cited for the summons was an accusation of "violating the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations." 

The Journalists Union of Turkey (TGS) issued the following statement regarding the matter: 

"As the public has been closely following, after we announced our strike decision at the Sputnik Turkey office on July 24, 2023, 24 of our members, including our union representative, were dismissed on August 7 under the pretext of economic downsizing. As of today, we have surpassed 140 days in the strike we began on August 17.

Despite the scorching sun, the biting cold, and the sharp winds, the Sputnik strikers have been keeping watch in the strike tent in front of their workplace without taking a single day off, in order to seek their rights and uphold the dignity of journalism.

"CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS ACTING AS STRIKEBREAKERS..."

The Sputnik employer has committed countless unlawful acts during this process. Not content with that, Sputnik employees, who organized under our union with demands for a humane life and fair wages, were summoned to give statements to the police on the 138th day of their strike following a complaint by employer representatives.

The Sputnik employer, who filed a complaint against the TGS Board of Directors and eight strikers, claims that our legal and lawful strike is in violation of 'Law No. 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations'! Not stopping there, they also accuse us of violating the freedom of work and labor, and disturbing the peace and tranquility.

Sputnik, which presents as evidence letters written to the employer by certain individuals acting as strikebreakers to undermine our rightful and legitimate strike, also characterizes the sharing of negotiations between strikers and strikebreakers on social media as a crime.

"A MOVE THAT CASTS A SHADOW ON THE IMPARTIALITY OF THE LAW"

On the other hand, despite the fact that our laws clearly state how a strike is to be conducted and that Ministry of Labor and Social Security inspectors have fined the Sputnik employer for violating union rights, the prosecutor's office finding the complaint justified and summoning the strikers to give statements casts a shadow on the impartiality of the law.

However, we have no doubt that this complaint, which is full of mediocre allegations that have nothing to do with reality, will result in a decision of non-prosecution.

Because,

• They claimed the strike was unlawful and filed a lawsuit. The judiciary did not accept this claim and ruled that our strike was legal.

• They dismissed our workplace union representative, Nejdet Eksilmez. The court ruled for his reinstatement at the first hearing.

• An inspection was conducted by the Ministry of Labor and Social Security. The inspectors determined that the mass layoffs were not for economic reasons but for union-related reasons and imposed an administrative fine.

As can be seen, all the unlawful acts of the Sputnik employer are failing one after another.

Sputnik employees have no other demand than to request their acquired rights and the implementation of the Constitution. The Sputnik employer's belief that they will intimidate the strikers in this way stems from their failure to recognize their employees and our union. We will not give up our rightful strike, neither through court pressure nor police pressure."