‘CODE 29’

An average of 491 workers dismissed every day despite layoff ban

The Social Security Institution (SGK) has answered the question of the DİSK confederation regarding the number of people dismissed with ‘Code 29’, a legal way used by employers to circumvent the layoff ban amid the pandemic.

İstanbul

An average of 491 workers dismissed every day despite layoff ban

* Photo: Katra / Pexels

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

The Research Center of the Confederation of Progressive Trade Union of Turkey (DİSK-AR) addressed a question to the Presidency's Communication Center (CİMER) about the number of people dismissed from their jobs with 'Code 29', a legal way used by employers to dismiss workers despite the layoff ban in Turkey amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The question of the DİSK-AR has been answered by the Social Security Institution (SGK). Accordingly, 34 thousand 145 women and 142 thousand 517 men were dismissed with 'Code 29' in 2020, which means that 176 thousand 662 workers were dismissed in total.

This figure also shows that an average of 14 thousand 722 workers were dismissed with 'Code 29' every month and an average of 491 workers were dismissed with 'Code 29' every day last year.

The DİSK-AR shared the answer of the SGK with the above banner yesterday (April 6), announcing that "177 thousand workers were dismissed from their jobs under the pretext of Code 29 in 2020."

*What is 'Code 29'?

In an article on daily Evrensel, Sevda Karaca explains the "Code 29" in following words:

"'Code 29', the legal 'exception' of the ban on dismissing workers during the pandemic has become the nightmare for the workers in Turkey.

"What is this Code 29?

"Employers have to give notice to the Social Security Institution within 10 days of the dismissal of a worker. The dismissed worker is given a code for the reason for dismissal on this notice. Code 29 shows that the employment contract had been terminated on the grounds that the employee exhibited 'behaviours that do not comply with the rules of ethics and goodwill' as listed in the second paragraph of Article 25 of the Labour Law.

"This article, which bosses used extensively during the ban to dismiss workers [during Covid] is also an obstacle to benefiting from unemployment benefits. İŞKUR (Turkish Employment Agency) looks at the code when an application for unemployment benefit is made; if code 29 is entered benefits are not paid. Those dismissed under the code 29 also cannot receive short-time work allowance.

"Code 29 is a brutal type of dismissal where the worker is not entitled to severance pay, notice pay and unemployment benefits."

(HA/SD)