LABOR NEWS FROM TURKEY 8/13/94
Labor Video Project
lvpsf at igc.apc.org
Sun Sep 18 20:42:21 BST 1994
From: Labor Video Project <lvpsf>
/* Written 12:40 PM Sep 18, 1994 by lvpsf in igc:labr.turkey */
/* ---------- "LABOR NEWS FROM TURKEY 8/13/94" ---------- */
From: Labor Video Project <lvpsf>
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LABOR NEWS FROM TURKEY
August 13 1994
Compiled from a collection of newspapers, magazines and news
reports.
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REACTION TO MINIMUM WAGE.
Reaction to the minimum wage which has been prepared by the bosses and the
government is continuing. The minimum wage was set at 2,759,000 TL
($91.00) a month. Sahabettin Ozarslaner, the Deputy President of HADEP
(Peoples Democracy Party) said this minimum wage meant condemning the
workers to hunger. He called for all trade unions and political parties
to challenge the governments policy.
Muzaffer Unlu, the president of the Emek-Is Labor union, called for all the
union bureaucrats who have not been effective at determining the minimum
wage to resign and said the government should be ashamed of the figure.
Workers Party Deputy President Bedri Gultekin, at the same time, said the
new minimum wage would further impoverish the already poor workers by
another 50%.
Ozgur Ulke
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RELATIONS WITH SHP IS DISCUSSED IN DISK GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Third day in the General Assembly of DISK (The Confederation of
Revolutionary Workers Union):
Kemal Nebioglu announced his candidacy for the presidency for DISK (The
Confederation of Revolutionary Workers Union), at the same time, Suleyman
Celebi who was running for the General Secretary position has withdrawn.
On the third day of the General Assembly of DISK, the delegate from Genel-
Is accused the administration of "not giving the delegates or the workers
who have come here from the resistance the chance to speak". He also
prevented Faruk Pekin, the advisor to the President from speaking.
When the agenda was moved to deal with the criticisms against the
executive committee, Daysal said nobody could critisize him on the issue
of socialism, especially those who take positions inside a social
democratic party had no right of criticizing him. Daysal reminded that
the Presidents Committee had decided to support the SHP (Social Democratic
Party in coalition with the Right wing DYP in the government) and that
some unions provided free ads to support the social democrats. He said
the criticisms should be directed to these unions.
Later, Suleyman Celebi, the former General Secretary of DISK took the
microphone to answer the criticisms on the development of DISK and the
relations with the SHP. He said, "They are accusing us of selling out to
the 10% barrier (the law that requires a union to have at least 10% of the
workers membership in a work place before the authority is given to that
union to negotiate), they are accusing us of abandoning our principles and
adopting the contemporary unionist thought. If we were fixated on the 10%
barrier we would have delayed the Early General Assembly another six
months and called for the normal General Assembly. Who can abandon the
principles of DISK? DISK's principles are alive and well but DISK does
not have the old organization and power it used to have."
Suleyman Celebi also replied to those who accused them of selling out the
DISK to SHP (Social Democratic Party). He said, "We do not submit DISK to
anybody. DISK is our pride and honor. But, there has been a relationship
between DISK and SHP. By God, there has been! Yes there is a relationship
but we have not given in. DISK has taken advantage of SHP in the local and
state governments.
Nebioglu, an ex president of DISK replied criticisms with humor and a soft
approach. He said, "For those who expected the former DISK, expected a lot
out of today's DISK. Today, we do not have that DISK, nor do we have the
organization we had before. Turkey needs that DISK. I am also missing
that DISK. But there is no DISK today which has given up on its
principals."
Another ex DISK executive committee member, Riza Guven also announced his
candidacy for the new executive committee.
A proposition to move the General Headquarters from Istanbul to Ankara did
not collect the required two thirds of the vote to succeed. This left the
headquarters in Istanbul. The argument to move the headquarters to Ankara
supported the idea that it would be easy to conduct business in the
Capital.
Ozgur Ulke
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WORKERS SHOULD OPPOSE THE DIRTY WAR IN THE EAST
A leaflet prepared by some members who called themselves "the Patriotic
Laborer" , was distributed to all the members at the General Assembly of
DISK (The Confederation of Revolutionary Workers Unions). In the leaflet
it was emphasized that the fascist junta of September 12 had done what it
was supposed to do to suppress the revolutionary and socialist wave and to
create a working class which was silenced, pacified and integrated to the
system. The leaflet said that today's DISK had made a lot of compromises
from the DISK of the past. It said," Today, the cost of the real war is
being paid by the workers. The Turkish State wants the working class and
the laborer people to share the dirty and unjust war it is waging against
the Kurdish people by calling for 'national unity' and 'global
sacrifices'. If today, the workers get beaten by the cops when they take
to the streets, if they are tortured, exiled and fired, if the
intellectuals are thrown to jails because of their thoughts, the most
important reason for this is the dirty war conducted by the state in
Kurdistan. Every year more than hundreds of trillions of TL is spent on
this war. These policies should be made to fail. DISK should have an
initiative to do this."
Ozgur Ulke
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SUGAR BEET GROWERS REFUSE TO SELL THEIR CROP
The beet growers have accused the state factory's low prices for the drop
in the production of sugar beet this year.
The growers in Agri stated that the current policy was nothing but
exploitation. The declaration from the growers said, "Our cost in growing
the beet is 2000 TL and the factory is giving us 800 TL. Why should we grow
more crop when there is no incentive to. Then they turn around and ask us
why we are not growing more when we can not even get our labor's worth.
Give our labor's equivalent and we will grow more than you need." Factory
officials said they have not decided how much to pay for the beet crop this
year yet.
Ozgur Ulke
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ASSAULT ON ZONGULDAK COAL MINERS STARTS
Turkey's Coal Society decided to retire 2,300 underground miners. The
decision was announced to workers who are discussing ways to fight this
decision. Proposals for resistance includes plans like marching to
downtown Zonguldak everyday from the coal mines, using the power that
producing gives to the workers and marching all the way to Ankara, the
Capital.
Genel Maden-Is (The Union of General Mine Workers Union) branch managers
are in constant meetings with the workers. These managers have already
come to the following understanding that "Without toppling the current
government there is no way to solve the problem. We have to succeed in our
struggle no matter what. This time, the struggle will be very hard and we
have to be prepared for it."
Workers have united in the three plants which will experience the first
round of 'retirement' in Armutcuk, Kozlu and Amasra. The union officials
are emphasizing the solidarity of the workers as, "We have to be in unity
as workers and the Union. Every worker is a trooper and a leader of this
struggle. When you go back to your villages, talk to your fellow peasants,
talk to your mayors because we will be resisting with the whole people of
Zonguldak."
Semsi Demirer, the president of Genel Maden-Is (GMIS - The Union of
General Mine workers Union) and also General Secretary of Turk-Is ) and
Selahattin Ataman, the Deputy president of GMIS have made calls to all
Zonguldak residents to be prepared for a new struggle.
The political party Zonguldak and all it's branches have made
announcements about the latest developments in their town. DYP (Right
wing governing party in coalition with the social democratic SHP) and
CHP(right wing social democratic party) have declared that they will
resist in closing of the mines united as whole Zonguldak. SHP (The social
democratic party in the government in coalition with the right wing DYP)
Zonguldak branch has declared that in the case of the mine closures, the
whole party branch with the members will resign from their party.
Niyazi Isik, the president of the Zonguldak Branch of the Isci Partisi (The
Workers Party) said in a televised speech in Zonguldak that the only party
who has been struggling on behalf of the workers was the Workers Party and
that they were the ones who have exposed the assault on the workers of
Zonguldak by the imperialist collaborator ANAP (a right wing party) and
DYP-SHP coalition from the time of the great miners strike.
Niyazi Isik is proposing the following action plan:
"Miners have shown they can start the struggle immediately in the past.
And this time, the workers are ready for struggle also."
"1- As in the previous great miners strike, the workers should march to
downtown from their regions everyday. These marches will prepare the
workers for the future struggles and will gather all the miners in
Zonguldak every day."
"2- GMIS (The Union of General Mine Workers Union) should use its power
which comes from doing the actual production to stop this assault.
Preventing the firing of 2300 workers will provide great incentives to
Zonguldak."
"3- A struggle line should be drawn up in Zonguldak-Karabuk-Eregli regions.
This regional struggle line will also help establish a line in Turkey.
Karabuk is getting ready to march to Ankara. Zonguldak and Eregli should
be participating in this march. The totality of Zonguldak, Eregli and
Karabuk should march to Ankara."
Aydinlik
------------------------------------------------------------------------
SIX OFFICE WORKERS UNIONS ARE MERGING
On June 26 the Central Executive Committees met and declared that in the
process of strenthening union organization today, there is a burning need
for multi dimensionality of the struggle and more powerful joint struggle
among unions organizing in the same sectors. The Executive Committee said
that to have separate unions organizing in the same sector was superficial
and that they have decided to join and combine their forces.
Aydinlik
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WHILE THE GOVERNMENT WANTS 'ASSOCIATIONS', THE OFFICE WORKERS ARE
FORMING CONFEDERATIONS OF UNIONS.
The government is preparing legislation for office workers associations,
not office workers unions. But the Commission on the Constitution in the
Parliament is leaning toward giving the 'right to unionize' to the public
workers without the right to strike or collective bargaining. This brings
up the old discussions of whether this is constitutional or not.
While the government wants to continue discussing the President of Tum
Maliye-Sen (The Union of all Fiscal Office Workers) Irfan Erdemoglu said,
"We will not be participating in the discussion that the government has
opened. We have been showing our demand for independent, democratic union
organization which includes the right to strike and collective bargaining
for the last three years."
As Erdemoglu has stated also, the public workers are building a
confederation of all their unions. "The society has accepted us, Who cares
about the legislation? Suppose that the government comes up with the
legislation, then we will solve the problem at the work places with the
rank and file. The workers got their right to strike by striking in the
first place."
The public workers will participate in the confederation with the
understanding that each sector will be represented by one union from that
sector. This way, the building of confederation will also help join the
division the unions are experiencing in the same sector. The works are
under way in five different sectors to join and build the confederation:
Transportation, education, energy-road-building, office and health.
In the transportation sector for example, Demiryol-Sen (Railroad Workers
Union), Tum Hava Sen (Airport and Air Transportation Workers Union) and
Lim-Sen (Ship Transportation and Port Workers Union) are completing their
merger on August 21. This will combine the 15,000 workers out of 26,000
total workers of transportation under one union.
Aydinlik
------------------------------------------------------------------------
SUSER WORKERS ONCE AGAIN MARCHES IN PROTEST
The workers who will be laid off from Suser by the Greater Istanbul
Municipality yesterday marched again in protest.
Workers demanding their right signed under the contract to be exercised
wanted to give their petition to the mayors office but could not find any
official who would take their petition. The petitions were left at the
door of the recorders office.
Faruk Buyukkucak, the President of Region 1. of Turk Is (The Confederation
of all Workers Unions) have sent a letter to all the branches of unions
under Turk-Is urging everybody to take up the struggle for the Suser
workers. Workers, on the other hand, have vowed to continue their struggle
against such political decisions as firing workers.
Ozgur Ulke
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EGIT SEN (UNION OF EDUCATION WORKERS) CONDEMNS THE POLICE MURDER OF 3 IN
BAGCILAR.
In a statement given by the Headquarters of the Union of Education Workers
it was stated that the 3 people murdered by the police 4 days ago in
Bagcilar was done completely in contradiction to any law. It was stated
that the police had tried and executed the 3 people in the house which were
bombed and machine gunned without any effort to capture them alive. The
statement read, "A new case was added to the long list of systemized
execution-without-trial murders on August 4. Guner Sar, Huseyin Arslan and
Ozlem Kilic were tried, found guilty and executed against all judicial
procedures by the police. The murder was also televised via media to show
how 'legitimate' the execution was.
Ozgur Ulke
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30 PEOPLE ARRESTED FOR PARTICIPATING IN THE FUNERAL OF OZLEM KILIC
MURDERED BY THE POLICE IN BAGCILAR.
30 people were arrested in Ankara today for wanting to participate in
Ozlem Kilic's funeral who was killed by the police in Istanbul Bagcilar.
It was reported that the bus which was bringing the people to the funeral
was stopped by the police and after identity checks everybody including
the representative of the Ankara Platform of Freedoms and Rights who was
also arrested. The funeral was conducted under heavy surveillance by more
than 100 plainclothes police was attended by more then 100 people
including her family members.
Ozgur Ulke
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RIDVAN BULAK, ACCUSED OF BEING A MEMBER OF SHP, IS ELECTED AS PRESIDENT
OF DISK AT THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
After heated discussions and protests, Ridvan Bulak was elected as the
President of DISK (The Confederation of Revolutionary Workers Union).
Ridvan Bulak has been accused of being a social democrat and a member of
SHP(the social democratic party).
The discussions, closed door negotiations and dealings shadowed the real
question of identity search in DISK. The discussions on the conditions of
the working class and the position of DISK on the issues of the 'dirty
war' and 'Kurdish question' were completely ignored and the discussions
were totally focused on the presidential elections.
Kemal Nebioglu who spoke first, ended his speech by saying 'If you vote for
me, vote also for those young friends like me who will not put their asses
down in the struggle'.
Ridvan Bulak who spoke after Nebioglu explained the issues about an
investigation started for him which were printed recently in the press. He
said he demands the presidency to 'create the DISK which will meet with the
workers all the way.' On the accusations that he was a member of the
Social Democratic Party he said that he was a unionist on the side of the
labor.
The president of SOSYAL-IS, Ozcan Keskec said the unions should be
independent of the government, the state and the capital but, sometimes,
if needed, the unions could engage in organic ties with a political party.
Last to speak was Ismail Hakki Onal who is the president of the GENEL-IS
workers union. He said that he did not agree with those who spoke as 'This
is the last General Assembly of DISK. DISK will either sink or swim. Will
DISK live or die?'. He said the congress did not give him a similar
impression and, 'Here we are, on our feet, alive and well'. He also voiced
a somewhat self criticism by saying that, "We have not been effective in
the resolution of the Kurdish question" .
In the elections, none of the three candidate was able to collect the
necessary votes to win the presidency. The elections were repeated three
times.
After the delegates started to resign from their posts with heavy and
heated discussions, Ridvan Budak finally got the required votes to be
elected as the next President of DISK. Enver Oktem said, 'The DISK where
Ridvan Budak is the president, will not give anything to the working
class'.
DISK's ex-president Nebioglu said that he was a president who had been hit
from the back but this did not mean his career as a unionist was over. He
said he would put on his walking shoes and restart the union struggle as a
trooper again as of now.
Ozgur Ulke
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ONE HOUR OF WAR MEANS 40 UNEMPLOYED
Ibrahim Kibrizli, the special consultant to the Joint Chamber of Commerce
has said that the businesses staying alive with the state subsidies have
gone into a crises with the recent stagnation in the building sector.
Kibrizli said that with the 11 billion TL the state is spending in a hour
for the war, it could build a factory which will employ 20 to 40 workers
every hour in the east.
While the state is spending 11 billion TL every hour, not a single penny is
being spent on anything else in the east. All projects including the
famous GAP, which will build huge dams across the east, have been stopped
except for military and security operations. The production capacity of
the people which had been accumulated in the past hundreds of years, has
been destroyed by forcing people to migrate, by burning down of villages,
crops, nurseries and forests by the economical warfare conducted against
the people of the region.
Ozgur Ulke
------------------------------------------------------------------------
MAGAZINES CLOSED DOWN BY STATE SECURITY COURT.
The special issue named 'The Flag of the Labor will not be silenced'
published by Genclik Yildizi (Star of Youth) has been confiscated by the
State Security Court. Also, the last issue of the magazine Taraf (Side)
and the first issue of Oncu Partizan (Vanguard Partisan) has also been
confiscated by the same court.
Ozgur Ulke
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DISK AND TISK MEET EACH OTHER!
The first to congratulate the new elected president of DISK(Confederation
of Revolutionary Workers Unions) was the president of TISK (Confederation
of Employers Unions) Refik Baydur! Refik Baydur said that once DISK was a
confederation based on ideology and slogans, but, today it has become a
confederation which has adapted to a changing world.
DISK President Budak said DISK is aware of the changes taking place
throughout the world and "the most important thing is to find
an agreement. We will discuss with you but we will capture a common
point." Budak also stated that they wanted to get together with TISK in
the future again.
Ozgur
Ulke
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