National research on the impact of the economic crisis on industrial relations is being finalized

ANKARA – As part of the Project titled “The Economic Crisis Impact on Industrial Relations National Systems: Policy Responses As Key Recovery Tools”, industrial relations partners gathered in a meeting at TEPAV to discuss the labor market policies and practices, as well as the recovery tools used during the 2008 crisis, and the functioning of social dialogue in Turkey. TEPAV made a presentation on the draft report, and industrial relation partners commented on the current state of social dialogue in Turkey.

The invited social partners included the Turkish Ministry of Employment and Social Security, the Turkish Industry and Business Association (TİSK), the Confederation of Turkish Trade Unions (TÜRK-İŞ), the Progressive Workers Union Confederation (DİSK), the Confederation of Turkish Real Trade Unions (HAK-İŞ), the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges in Turkey (TOBB), Turkish Industry and Business Association (TÜSİAD) and the Independent Industrialists and Businessmen's Association (MÜSİAD).

The TEPAV Project team presented the draft final report of the “Research on the Economic Crisis Impact on Industrial Relations National System in Turkey”. The report documents the Turkish experience based on historical evidence reinforced by insights gained from the one-on-one meetings and interviews held with government representatives, workers’ and employers’ associations and occupational organizations.

The leader of the Project is the Center for Economic Development (CED, Bulgaria), partner organizations of the project are the Center for Research and Policy Making (the FYR of Macedonia), Euro College of University of Tartu (Estonia), Confederation of Trade Unions (Bulgaria), Institute for Public Affairs (Poland), and Institute for International Relations (Croatia) and Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey (TEPAV). The project is financed by the DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion.