Turkish unions to go on one-day strike after talks fail

Turkey's Major Confederation of Labour and Public Servant Unions are going on a one day nation wide strike on January 4 to extend support to Tekel workers in protest of the government.

The negotiations between, Turk-Is, Turkey's largest federation of labour unions --representing the Tekel workers-- and the government have failed, when Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan's offer failed to satisfy Turk-Is.

After the break up of negotiations, Turkey's major confederation of Labour and Civil Servant unions, Turk-Is Hak-Is, DISK, Memur-Sen, Turkiye, Kamu-Sen and KESK, got together Tuesday and decided to go on a one day nation wide strike to warn the government.

Workers from the privatised TEKEL factories who have been struggling for 50 days at a sit-down strike in Ankara to secure a transfer to other public institutions along with their employee rights and called for a general strike, at a recent mass rally in Ankara.

Last week, following a meeting with Turk-Is Chairman Mustafa Kumlu, Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan ordered two of his ministers to work on the issue and come up with a solution to the situation.

Tekel workers who had been on a hunger strike, gave a break and decided to wait for the government's offer.

Kumlu said Turk-Is wanted the government to reemploy Turk-Is workers at other public institutions, noting that negotiations broke down due to a disagreement over how the workers would be reemployed.

The government offers to reemploy Tekel workers under 4-C contract, which means a partial loss of rights for the workers, the initial cause of the protests. However the government promised to ameliorate the conditions of the contract with the new offer.

Commenting on the Tekel workers' protest during his address to the group meeting of his party Tuesday, Premier Erdogan said the protest of Tekel workers went beyond a mere struggle for rights, and turned into an anti-government campaign.

He said the current protest was unlawful, underlining that they would only tolerate until the end of February to "this unlawful process", signalling that the law enforcement could intervene in protests after February.

"This incident is being exploited by ideological groups and extremists. Unfortunately a group of workers have been tricked into this. Look at the placards and slogans. They all use a impolite ill-manner targeting my party and me in person," said Erdogan.

He said there were millions of unemployed in Turkey that would settle for what the government to Tekel worker's under 4-C contract.

Confederations of Labour unions will get together after the strike on February 4, to discuss the course of action to be taken.

/World Bulletin/