Union membership and gaining membership
ARTICLE 17 – (1) Those who have completed the age of fifteen and are considered workers according to the provisions of this Law may become members of trade unions.
(2) Those deemed to be employers within the meaning of this Law may become members of employers’ unions.
(3) It is free to become a member of a union. No one can be compelled to join or not be a member of a union. Employees or employers cannot be members of more than one trade union at the same time. However, workers working in the same industry and at workplaces of different employers can be members of more than one union. In the event that workers and employers become members of more than one union in violation of this provision, subsequent memberships are invalid.
(4) Workers working in auxiliary jobs at a workplace may also become members of a union established in the branch of business the workplace enters.
(5) Membership to the union is gained through the e-Government portal, with the application for membership to the electronic application system to be provided by the Ministry, through the e-Government portal, and the approval of the authorized body determined in the union statute. If the membership application is not rejected by the union within thirty days, the membership request is deemed to have been accepted. Those whose membership applications are not accepted without a justified reason may file a lawsuit within thirty days from the notification of this decision. The court’s decision is final. If the court decides in favor of the plaintiff, the membership is deemed to have been acquired on the date of the rejection decision.
