“Civil Society Dialogue: bringing together workers from Turkey and the EU through a shared culture” is the name of the ambitious European project meant to ensure better knowledge and understanding of one another among Turkish and European workers.

ETUC’s members include four Turkish organisations (Turk-Is, Hak-Is, DISK and KESK) and it has decided to launch this project of major political importance in an increasingly globalised economy. The project will include a range of activities designed to help Turkish and European workers meet and interact with each other.

Three Turkish trade unions, namely Turk-Is, Hak-Is and DISK, will be involved in the project together with 17 European trade union confederations, all of which are members of ETUC, and seven European industry-based federations. This broad support underlines the scope and importance of the initiative.

The opening conference, which will take place on 20 and 21 October, will launch the project. It will focus to a large extent on mutual cooperation between Turkey and Europe and will bring together Turkish and European trade union leaders, ETUC General Secretary John Monks and Turkey’s Minister for Labour and Social Protection, as well as academics and representatives of civil society.