Civil servants unionism and the analyzing of trade union rights of civil servants in the light of article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights in Turkey

Union rights, which have undergone many evolutions during the history, are precondition of an active and autonomous social dialogue of European Union institutions and one of the eight elements of International Labor Organization (ILO) as well. What is more important is that union rights take part in many agreements and in particular, these rights are given to everyone as an human right according to the article 11 of European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). Although public unionization, which constitutes the subject of the research, has received an affirmative consensus in international arena, association of civil servants and the rights stemming from this association have been disputable in many domains due to a privileged status they have. The state has been cautious while constituting a structure that will question its own dominance. Authorities in Turkey have cautiously approached unionization of the civil servants and union rights with for years and the civil servants was able to reach their collective contract right only in 2012 whereas they were given the right to strike. Turkey, which agrees with many international agreements such as European Convention on Human Rights that give the right to organize to everyone, has restricted the civil servants' union rights, violating one of the human rights. Turkey was convicted many times as it violated the article 11 of the ECHR. The country should immediately end this violation with the necessary regulations and laws.