DEFEN-CE: Social Dialogue in Defence of Vulnerable Groups in Post-COVID-19 Labour Markets. Report on Turkey

This report is part of an EU-wide project on the social dialogue regarding labour relations during the Covid-19 pandemic. More specifically the report aims to answer the following questions: 1. What public policy and social dialogue measures targeting the selected vulnerable groups were implemented for employment and social protection during the COVID-19 pandemic 2020-2022? 2. To what extent and how did social dialogue play a role in the implementation of social and employment rights of selected vulnerable groups in the COVID-19 pandemic between 2020 and 2022? 3. What lessons and opportunities does the COVID-19 pandemic yield for strengthening social dialogue in the studied countries? In the report, secondary and primary data sources are combined. Labour market and industrial relations analysis largely rely on existing literature. Social policies during the Covid-19 pandemic are based on the Turkish DEFEN-CE Database, which combines multiple sources such as international reports, official documents, reports from trade unions and employers’ organizations, and academic literature. To understand the role of social partners in the defense of vulnerable groups, the report uses 9 semi-structured interviews. 3 Trade Union and 3 Employer Associations from different confederations representing workers and employers across different sectors and sizes are selected to provide a broad range of opinions. Additionally, two NGOs that were quite active during the pandemic and the Turkish Medical Association as one of the most vocal groups and the representative of healthcare sector workers were chosen for interviews. No government officials, either at the local or national level, were willing or able to participate in the interviews. All interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis based on a DEFEN-CE coding scheme.