Turkish flight crew members win union membership case
İsmail Saymaz – ISTANBUL
An Istanbul court has decided 12 pilots and flight attendants to be paid compensation for being laid off after they became members of a new labor union.
Turkish Airlines will pay one of the plaintiffs 215,000 Turkish Liras ($41,275) in compensation for being dismissed wrongfully, according to a verdict by the 11th Labor Court in Istanbul’s Bakırköy district.
One of the flight attendants was dismissed on April 11, 2018 for “underperforming.” However, the claimant, who was working at Turkish Airlines since 1997, applied to the court on grounds that the actual reason behind dismissal was being a member of the newly founded union Hava-Sen.
“Neither an objective performance measurement was made nor opportunity provided to increase performance,” said the court in its verdict.
Considering the positive work records and experience of the employee, the alleged reason of dismissal was not convincing, the court added, saying that union membership was deemed as the real reason.
All the 12 claimants also will have the right to be reinstated to their former positions at the Turkish Airlines.
