The Changing Nature of Turkish Trade Unions since 1980

The contemporary Turkish unions and their struggle in the context of the changing economic, political and social structure of Turkey since 1980 are examined. The 1980s were a crucial turning point in the history of the country's trade union movement as it marked the implementation of another round of more restrictive labor policies of the governments due to, first, the military intervention of the 1980s and, second, the government's austerity policies. It is argued that under the painful and complex process of economic and political reconstruction and the development of democracy the Turkish trade unions have been faced with a number of tactical and political options in the rapidly evolving issue of European Integration and of democracy and the increasing uniformity among members of TURK-IS.