The government of Turkey banned companies from terminating employment contracts as a response to the covid-19 pandemic crisis. However, there is an exemption. Companies still have the right to terminate employment contracts based on “immoral, dishonorable or malicious conduct or other similar behavior.”
Photo: "Turkish Protestors by a Wall" by garryknight is licensed under CC BY 2.0Companies must report to the SGK when they fire a worker based on the so-called “immoral, dishonorable or malicious conduct or other similar behavior” by using the Code-29. Any worker who is fired using the Code-29 is not entitled to a severance payment and unemployment benefit. Someone deemed immoral under Code-29 will have difficulties in finding a new job. In 2020, 233,400 people were fired under Code-29, while the corresponding figure for 2019 was 194,524.
According to The Revolutionary Trade Union Confederation, companies abuse the Code-29 to circumvent the ban on layoffs imposed ruing the Covid-19 pandemic. Even some people were fired under the article because they joined a union.
Read more here, here, and here.
