EXTENDED SUMMARY

Globalisation has brought about a rapid transformation of the world economic system. At the global level, a new division of labour has emerged as international production is distributed among countries. With the proliferation of multinational corporations (MNCs) in the world as a result of Neo-liberal policies, labour-intensive forms of production have been implemented in underdeveloped/developing countries, mainly due to low labour costs. The regulations adopted by developing countries to attract these investments in order to increase production, employment and economic growth have led to a decline in trade union rights and freedoms, the spread of precarious work and the increase in subcontracting. It has also led to an increase in the number of unemployed and working poor.

Levinson (1971) mentions the idea of developing an international collective bargaining mechanism against the destructive effect of MNCs on the labour market, which has become widespread with globalisation. In this context, Global Framework Agreements (GFAs) have been proposed as a new field of struggle that can provide a solution to the trade union problems that have emerged with globalisation. GFAs are one of the new arguments used by the Global Unions to secure the recognition and implementation of trade union rights and freedoms by MNCs, and have been used as an international collective bargaining tool in the wake of the globalisation process. However, the applicability of GFAs has been criticised for many reasons, such as the lack of legal binding force and weak enforcement power. Especially in underdeveloped and developing countries, where MNCs have their supply chains, there are some problems with the applicability of the GFAs, which aim to implement the same level of trade union rights and freedoms in every country. Turkey, which is among the developing countries, is a relatively labour-abundant country compared to the developed countries and is among the countries that attract foreign capital investments and MNCs. As a result, production processes based on cheap labour are widespread in Turkey, where the national trade union movement is relatively weak. Thus, GFAs, one of the new methods developed by international trade unions against MNCs with the globalisation process, have also started to be used by national trade unions in Turkey.

The aim of this study is to analyse the impact of GFAs to which IndustriALL is a party on the collective bargaining process of trade unions in Turkey, based on different sectors and industries. The study uses IndustriALL as a sample, as it is the largest sector in Turkey. Interviews were conducted with the three IndustriALL specialists and experts from eight IndustriALL affiliates in Turkey. These are TURK-METAL, BIRLESIK METAL-IS, DISK-TEKSTIL, TEKSIF, DERITEKS, SELULOZ-IS and OZIPLIK-IS. Thus, it is believed that the research will contribute to the literature by providing a two-dimensional examination and sectoral comparison. The study used a qualitative research method, in which questions with semi-structured interview methods were asked to negotiators in the workplace. The results of the interviews were interpreted using descriptive analysis. The results show that, in terms of industries, the highest number of IndustriALL signed GFAs is in the metal sector, followed by textiles and garments. Turkish Trade Unions were identified as GFAs are basic agreements that determined work standards. As research, the content of GFAs is not determined by Turkish trade unions, they do not participate directly in the negotiation process of GFAs. Unions in the textile sector hold the most meetings to inform union members about GFAs. However, other unions only provide information at the initial organising stage. While some unions are positive about the applicability of GFAs, unions in the textile sector do not consider their applicability to be effective due to insufficient/weak sanctions against the supplier company. It was noted that the GFAs to which IndustriALL is a party have had a limited impact on the collective bargaining process of its affiliates in Turkey due to their lack of legal binding force. The GFAs have had a direct impact on wages. TURK-METAL has won some wage and social rights through GFAs. In the textile sector, it was found that GFAs have an impact on the wages and social rights of workers in workplaces where GFAs are effectively applied and strictly controlled. Although there were some successful examples in the metal and paper industries, it was found that the lack of legal binding in the textile industry meant that the organising phase was unsuccessful. However, the Turkish textile union is actively involved in the governance phase of the GFAs. Additionally, GFAs are subject to national law in MNC countries, where Turkish trade unions and IndustriALL experience incompatibility in the implementation of GFAs with MNCs. This study finds that they do not sue MNCs and their supply chains in the courts of developed countries. Although GFAs are subject to the national laws of the headquarters of MNCs, it was observed that national trade unions and IndustriALL do not use the judicial mechanism in case of disputes.