WORK LIFE
and
SOCIAL POLICIES

The Individual and Collective Labor Law in Work Life
Social Partners
The Social Security System and its Structure
Health Services

The Individual and Collective Labor
Law in Work Life

The Individual and Collective Labor Law, which regulates work life in Turkey, has guaranteed rights such as establishing associations or trade unions or making collective labor agreements. Turkey signed the agreements No. 87, 98, 105 and 111 of the International Labor Organization (ILO). The number of ILO agreements that are directly related to work life and have been ratified by Turkey up until 1998 is 38.

General Provisions in the Individual Labor Law
The jobs performed by individuals are divided into two groups, permanent and temporary jobs. Jobs that last 30 days at the most, from the aspect of their characteristics, are called temporary jobs, and jobs which exceed 30 days are considered to be permanent jobs. In case of disputes in temporary jobs, the decrees of the Code of Obligations are applied.

It is obligatory that permanent job contracts of one year or more are made in a written form. The employment contract relationship is also established when an employee starts working at a workplace with the approval of the employer.

The trial period is one month in permanent employment contracts. However, this period can be extended to three months with collective labor agreements. The parties can terminate the employment contract without notification and compensation during the trial period. However, wage and other rights of the employee for the period employed are reserved.

In Turkey, at workplaces where 50 or more employees are working, the employers are obliged to employ disabled persons, at a rate of 2 percent, in a job that is suitable for their professional, physical and psychological condition. Furthermore, they are obliged to employ ex-convicts, at the rate of 2 percent, in a job that is suitable for their profession. Another regulation put into force at the end of 1995 requires all enterprises which employ 50 or more employees to provide employment, at the rate of 2 percent for the public officials, soldiers or noncommissioned officers who have become disabled, but are able to work.