Institutional approach of confederations of trade unions in Turkey to unemployment and combating unemployment

The study of the institutional approach of the labor union confederations in Turkey to unemployment and the fight against unemployment is structured to analyze the unemployment-themed discourse and content of the three well-established trade union confederations, and to discuss their perspectives on the subject and their contribution to the solution of unemployment, which is a problem that needs a solution. In the study, which deals with the 2010-2020 process, the journals, reports and press releases of the trade union confederations were analyzed by content analysis method. According to the research, it was determined that there were no major changes in the unemployment discourse of the labor union confederations within the process. The differences between the discourses of the trade union confederations have been observed as reflections of their ideological approaches. It was concluded that the confederations evaluated the unemployment issue with a generally accepted framework. Therefore, suggestions are presented to strengthen the tendency of the trade union confederations to the subject. As a result of the study, the labor union confederations, which are the pressure elements that transform and guide the labor market, should evolve into a solution partner rather than a suggestion mechanism. In order for the confederations of trade unions to take an active role in the fight against unemployment, their functions should be changed accordingly.