ISTANBUL

US President Donald Trump took aim at federal employee unions Thursday by signing an executive order ending collective bargaining for government workers involved in national security-related tasks.

A fact sheet issued by the White House said: “The President needs a responsive and accountable civil service to protect our national security.”

The order affects employees across various federal agencies, including the State, Defense, Justice, and Health and Human Services departments. It also impacts organizations like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Federal Communications Commission, and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The executive order specifically targets federal unions that have “declared war on President Trump’s agenda,” according to the fact sheet. It noted that the largest union, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), has filed multiple grievances aimed at “blocking Trump policies.”

“President Trump refuses to let union obstruction interfere with his efforts to protect Americans and our national interests,” the fact sheet said, adding that the president is using powers granted under the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978.

The Office of Personnel Management issued guidance on Thursday, saying that agencies affected by the order no longer need to negotiate with federal unions. It also said these agencies can proceed with workforce cuts ordered by Trump without adhering to the rules in terminated agreements. Additionally, any restrictions on return-to-office policies will no longer apply once the agreements are ended.

The AFGE, representing over 800,000 workers, denounced the decision in a statement on Thursday, arguing that it undermines the collective bargaining rights of more than 1 million federal employees.

AFGE National President Everett Kelley said: “President Trump’s latest executive order is a disgraceful and retaliatory attack on the rights of hundreds of thousands of patriotic American civil servants—nearly one-third of whom are veterans—simply because they are members of a union that stands up to his harmful policies.”

Kelley also mentioned that AFGE is preparing to take legal action and will "fight relentlessly."

Since taking office, Trump has sought to reshape the federal workforce, including ending remote work for government employees and allowing agencies to bypass union agreements on telework.

Federal unions have responded with lawsuits, some of which have temporarily blocked parts of Trump's agenda, including halting layoffs of probationary workers and restricting access to sensitive Social Security data.