Why is TAI Management forcibly retiring its employees who are qualified to build the MMU Kaan on the grounds that they have reached the age of 60?

Defense Industry Executive Committee (SSİK) Held the First Meeting of 2024: New Projects Are Coming

Currently, Turkish defense products are used by the armies of 185 countries in the world. Sales of 5.5 billion USD were achieved in defense product exports. This means that a growth of 27% has been achieved compared to 2022. With these export data, the Turkish defense industry makes a visibly high contribution to the Turkish economy.

The Defense Industry Executive Committee, which met on January 3, made important decisions regarding aircraft carrier design, projects for the activities of the National Combat Aircraft Kaan, and the addition of new UAVs/SIHAs to the inventory.

At the meeting, Aircraft Carrier design phase within the scope of military ship projects, MİLGEM 9-10-11-12. Decisions were taken regarding the construction of ships (class I frigates), offshore patrol ships, new types of landing ships, new generation mine hunting ships and national assault boats.

Projects aimed at adding new UAVs/SIHAs to the inventory, providing new capabilities and ensuring logistics supportability were discussed and decided.

The future activities of the National Combat Aircraft KAAN, the supply of HÜRKUŞ aircraft and GÖKBEY helicopters, and the logistics requirements of the Airborne Early Warning and Control Aircraft were discussed and the necessary decisions were made.

In addition to platform projects, decisions were taken for a wide range of projects such as new missiles, radar, electronic warfare, communications, various weapons, ammunition and equipment, air defense systems, satellite and space systems.

As can be seen, most of the projects and products mentioned in the SSİK decisions are directly, and in some of them indirectly, Turkish Aerospace Industries Inc. (TUSAŞ) signature. Many unique and dominant products included in yesterday's SSİK decision are developed by TAI. Today, our aerial platforms, which are a source of pride and pride for everyone who says 'I am a happy Turk', meet the sky with the joint signature of thousands of engineers and technicians working under TAI.

Despite all its success, TAI is still a 'small' aerospace company from the perspective of world-scale aircraft manufacturers. It has approximately 16,000 employees, but even if it had that many more highly qualified employees, it would still not be enough to meet the human resources the company needs. Because even the National Combat Aircraft Kaan is a huge project that can only be produced with around 10,000 employees until it reaches the mass production stage. Although not as much as MMU Kaan at TAI,

In the helicopter field; T-129 Atak, T-629 Atak, T-929 Heavy Class Attack Helicopter Atak, T-625 Gökbey, Heavy Class Utility Helicopter projects,

In the field of aircraft; Hürkuş, Hürjet, Regional Passenger Aircraft, F-16 Özgür, F-16 Modernization and supporting (flight control system etc.) projects,

In the field of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles; Şimşek, ANKA, AKSUNGUR, ANKA-III, rotary wing UAV projects,

are carried out in the development and/or mass production phase. The human resource needs for these projects and other unique projects that will be implemented in the future will automatically emerge.

Despite the need for qualified people, why might TAI management have decided to terminate the employment of employees over the age of 60?

A total of 156 TAI employees over the age of 60, including highly experienced engineers, technicians, consultants and senior managers (directors and below), who have been working at TAI for years, producing and guiding those who produce, will be killed on the last working day of 2023, December 29. His relationship with the company was terminated. There was only one reason given to all these valuable and knowledgeable employees with TAI's corporate memory: "You are 60 years old!"

The reason for this practice, which meant dismissal, was that the working age limit was determined as 60 years old by the Company Internal Regulations put into effect by the decision of the Company's Board of Directors. This justification may be considered legal and sufficient by some. Indeed, for some reason, a 60-year age rule has been in effect at TAI for years. It is not a new application. It is not a practice created by the current board of directors. In this respect, we do not have to say that the current administration is doing it wrong legally.

In a way, the Company's human resources policy was determined this way in the past. In one sense, if TAI's board of directors finds this practice 'correct', we can easily say that no one has the right to speak. As a matter of fact, one day, they may make an unexpected decision and set the upper age limit at 50 instead of 60. This age limit is determined by consensus among 7 people on the Board of Directors. So is this true?

It is undoubtedly not true. Above, I have listed the projects that were the basis for the SSİK decision. With whom will our aerospace industry develop and produce these? Moreover, this 60-year-old rule is not a rule that can be applied 'wholesale'. There are and should be exceptions. As a matter of fact, in the past years, for each personnel over the age of 60 at TAI, an evaluation form was filled out by the unit to which they were affiliated and sent to the board of directors for the final decision, with the approval of the general manager through human resources. If the unit declared that it needed the relevant employee and conveyed this to the Board of Directors with convincing justifications, it was generally possible for that personnel to continue working until the age of 65, with one-year extensions, and even to work for some more critical personnel for a period of time in consultant status. However, for some reason, no such exceptional decision was taken for any personnel this year!

TAI employees who reached the age limit of 60 were referred to wholesale compulsory retirement. These personnel, who have been TAI employees for decades; They were literally expelled from this partnership company affiliated with the Turkish Armed Forces Foundation (TSKGV), which they adopted as their home, and were removed from the nation's factory.

This decision was taken at the Board of Directors meeting held at the beginning of December last year. Before this decision was taken, there was no need to give any preliminary information to employees who were over the age of 60 or in the process of doing so. This savings regarding the mandatory separation decision was put into effect at a time when the employees least expected it. Fortunately, it is said that notification has already been sent to those who are about to turn 60 within the next year. At least they will retire from TUSAŞ without any shock and will be prepared when the time comes.

On the other hand, it is not yet known whether the age of 60 will be implemented in all VBO companies except TAI. However, there are rumors in the industry that a decision is about to be made to implement a similar application in ASELSAN.

The Working Age in the Defense Industry Should Be At Least 65 Instead of 60

I do not find it right that employees, especially TUSAŞ, are forced to retire. First of all, what could be the reason for applying the age of 60? What will be achieved as a result? Has a cost-benefit analysis been done for this? I believe that similar questions need to be clarified.

According to the press release of TMMOB Chamber of Mechanical Engineers dated December 22, 2023, there is no regulation regarding the maximum age limit for employment in the Labor Law No. 4857. I agree 100% with the points in this press release. Due to its importance, I will repeat and make additions to some of the issues included in the press release.

The engineers affected by the 60-year-old decision represent the technical know-how of the company. This is a practice that will cause public harm by wasting the technical know-how of the country, as well as the personal grievances of the engineers who are subjected to this practice, which means "dismissal" without their consent. Indeed, the dismissal and victimization of these employees, whose experience and knowledge are at the highest level and who are willing to continue working in the defense industry if they were given the right to choose, just because they have reached the age of 60, is contrary to the existing laws and the principle of equality considering other business areas throughout Turkey. It attracts attention as an application. Why are employees, those who want to work, especially those who want to work in the defense industry, prevented when there are so many projects and the need is obvious? Why aren't they allowed to continue working? Why are they suddenly thrown out of the door when they can benefit from so many knowledgeable people for many years to come?

The majority of the technicians affected by the decision in question are people who are already retired, but have already been called back to work by the company management due to their expertise. Those who are not in this situation are people who are highly specialized and have the qualifications, training and certification required by the aviation industry. It is obvious that pushing our technicians, who are all 'masters' just like our engineers, out of the TAI production process means a loss not only for themselves but also for the country.

Although TUSAŞ does not have the status of a "Public Economic Enterprise", as I stated at the beginning, it is known that it is a public company established with public resources, with the money of the nation, and now has public capital in one aspect, and the people who will take part in its management are appointed by the public authority. TAI is an institution that is the country's only aircraft factory. In addition to the obligation to act in accordance with the Constitution and the current legal legislation in their operations, like all companies, they also have the obligation to be accountable to the public as a public company.

If the Board of Directors of this company has taken this decision without the knowledge and consent of the President of the Presidency Defense Industry, Prof. Dr. Halûk GÖRGÜN, the only person who has a say in TAI's capital as both the Chairman of the Board of TAFF and the President of the Defense Industry is Mr. GÖRGÜN. I invite you to stop these 'arbitrary' decisions. Shareholders of TUSAŞ; TSKGV: 54.49%, SSB: 45.45% and Turkish Aeronautical Association (THK): 0.06%. I believe that Mr. GÖRGÜN should initiate an investigation as soon as possible, which will serve the purpose of taking a principle decision on this issue for the entire defense industry. I believe that we do not have the luxury of retiring so many trained and qualified young men at the age of 60.

Otherwise, we will have difficulty finding the competent human resources that the defense industry needs in order to fulfill the goals set out in the SSİK decisions. We should not lose competent, qualified and experienced human resources. Otherwise, we cannot fulfill SSİK's goals.

Conclusion

Everyone who is interested in this sector and follows this sector closely knows that the defense industry has a unique human resources structure. Most of all, those in the industry know. I believe that the knowledge of engineers and technicians who use high and original technologies and the experience they have gained in the sector are invaluable. I consider that any employee who is in good health and can continue to add value to the defense industry should not be prevented from continuing to work in this sector, regardless of age, as long as he is productive.

I believe that this 60-year-old practice is not right for our defense industry due to its consequences, and that it should be corrected in the short term, if not now. It is obvious that if this mistake is persisted, TUSAŞ and other defense companies will be harmed as well as the employees.

On the other hand, the 'right to continue working', which TAI does not show to experienced, qualified Turkish employees, is unfortunately shown to foreign personnel. It is known that foreign engineers, most of whom have 'consultant' status and are over the age of 60, continue to work at TAI. This is a very correct practice in terms of technology transfer and experience transfer through human resources. This needs to be continued.

However, I would like to express that I do not find the double standards displayed by TAI management between Turkish and Foreign personnel over the age of 60 to be correct. Moreover, while some foreign personnel are already being paid high hourly wages, why are Turkish personnel who are ready to work at least 180 hours for the money that foreign personnel receive in 5-6 hours being kicked out of TAI? The elderly of strangers are valuable, but our elderly are worthless for some reason. Isn't there a clear contradiction here, the TAI dilemma?