Sputnik Turkish journalists’ strike marks 100 days

Sputnik Turkish journalists and their supporters once again gathered in front of the Istanbul office on the 100th day of their strike, demanding the Russia-based media agency to reverse the layoff decision of its unionized employees. On the other hand, one of the employees, Necdet Eksilmez, won the reinstatement lawsuit he filed against Sputnik.

Friday November 24 2023 10:02 pm

Duvar English

Sputnik Turkish employees’ strike marked the 100th day on Nov 24. The employees on strike, other journalists, political party representatives and unions once again gathered in front of the Sputnik Istanbul bureau at Süzer Plaza in Beşiktaş district.

The Journalists' Union of Turkey (TGS) chair Gökhan Durmuş announced that one of the employees and the workplace representative Necdet Eksilmez won the reinstatement lawsuit he filed against Sputnik.

Moreover, the court rejected the employer's request to stop the strike.

📢 Grevde 1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣.Gün

Haklılığımız her platformda karşılık buluyor. Yargıdan iki güzel haberimiz var:

📍İşverenin, grevin durdurulması talebinin reddine,
📍İşyeri Temsilcisi Nejdet Eksilmez'in ilk duruşmada işe iadesine karar verildi.

Mahkemede kazandığımız gibi grevde de… pic.twitter.com/yJYzuWPxLo
— Gazeteciler Sendikası (@TGS_org_tr) November 24, 2023

Sputnik Turkey journalists went on strike on Aug. 17 due to a disagreement of collective bargaining talks. They hung the paper of the decision to strike in front of Sputnik Istanbul and Ankara bureaus on July 24.

After the decision to strike, Sputnik Turkey, established by the Russian government-owned news agency Rossiya Segodnya, has begun laying off its unionized employees due to “downsizing.”

Turkish Penal Code (TCK) penalizes anyone pressuring workers from becoming or not becoming a member of a trade union or preventing union activities.

The unionization rate, which was 58 percent when the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) came to power in 2002, dropped to 14 percent in 2022.