The European Trade Union Confederation welcomed the decision of the European Court of Human Rights in the case of İsmail Sezer v. Turkey (application no. 36807/07) as a small but important step forward for trade union rights in Turkey.
The case concerned a disciplinary measure taken against a teacher, who held office in a trade union, for
taking part in a panel discussion organised by a political party. The Court found that the reprimand imposed on Mr Sezer constituted a restriction of his freedom of association.
“Mr Sezer took part in a meeting organised by a political party in his capacity as an officer of a trade union branch” said Veronica Nilsson, Confederal Secretary at the ETUC “not as a teacher and civil servant. To discipline him for that is a clear attack on trade union rights. The judgement of the European Court of Human Rights is a small but important step forward for trade union rights in Turkey.”
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