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Freedom of Association

According to the International Labour Organization, freedom of association requires respect for the right of employers and workers to form and join organisations of their own choice freely and voluntarily. Employers, on the other hand, must not interfere with workers' organising decisions or discriminate against workers who choose to organise or those who act as their representatives.

Although freedom of association is of great importance for workers in Türkiye, a country that relies on a sizable labour force, the unionisation rate remains low. The most important reasons for this are informality, discrimination against union members, union busting, termination of contracts of union members, and, more generally, difficulties in exercising the right to form or join a union. According to the International Trade Union Confederation's (ITUC) Global Rights Index 2022, Türkiye ranks among the weakest countries in the world in terms of labour rights due to obstacles to the exercise of trade union rights.

Ensuring freedom of association in global operations and supply chains, especially in regions with weak trade union rights, remains a significant challenge for companies. BHRTR works collaboratively to enable companies to overcome these obstacles, guiding them not only from risk identification to the implementation of key actions that address these challenges. BHRTR’s collaborative approach involves in-depth engagement with businesses, enabling them to proactively identify and address risks to freedom of association in their operations and supply chains. 

Our engagement also includes working closely with trade unions. We collaborate and raise awareness on how these organisations can take advantage of the legal remedies provided by mandatory human rights due diligence regulations in various countries. Through capacity building initiatives and targeted support, BHRTR empowers trade unions to effectively defend workers’ rights.