Mainstream News on Workers-struggle in Turkey

[Press]

From: "Press Agency Ozgurluk <Press Agency Ozgurluk" <ozgurluk at xs4all.nl>
Subject: Mainstream News on Workers-struggle in Turkey


By Osman Senkul
 
Megaköy, April 10 (Reuter) - Turkish public workers stepped up industrial
action on Thursday aimed at forcing the government to accept their pay terms as
talks between Turkey's biggest labour confederation and coalition drag on.

"Our members do not want us to step back from where we are and they are
pressuring us to act if there is no progress in the collective bargaining
negotiations," Semsi Denizer, general secretary of the labour federation
Turk-Is, told Reuters. "I do not have any hope of an agreement with the
government, because they just want to put us off to gain one month more."

More than 22,000 workers at Turkey's leading state oil and petrochemical plants
began to obstruct the shipment of goods from factories on Thursday and 34,000
workers connected with the military sector held marches.

Highway workers in the Megaköy region slowed operations. On Wednesday petrol
sector workers stopped work for two hours.

Union officials have already put pressure on the government to move towards an
accord after three months of collective bargaining talks between the
Islamist-led coalition and Turk-Is representing more than 500,000 public
workers.

Some union representatives said a strike was possible. "We want all our workers
to be ready for any form of action, including a strike," Seluloz-Is union
chairman Mithat Sari said.

A five-week public sector strike in 1995 helped bring down the minority
government of then-prime minister Tansu Ciller in a vote of confidence.

The latest actions reflect an expansion of protests as trade unions urge the
Turk-Is confederation to coordinate a general strike. Turk-Is and the
government of Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan are negotiating a two-year
labour contract from January 1 1997.

The coalition has offered to increase salaries by 38 percent plus 10.6 million
lira for the first six months of the year and to raise them in line with
inflation every six months.

Turk-Is is seeking an increase of 42 percent and 11.5 million lira for an
initial six months and subsequent inflation indexed rises every six months.

But most of Turk-Is member trade unions are seeking an increase in the basic
salary to 35-40 million lira and a 100 percent raise. They are also calling
for further action.

"The confederation should start and coordinate general actions now," Izzet
Cetin, president of Harb-Is, told Reuters.

Bayram Yildirim, president of the petroleum sector union, Petrol-Is, said
Thursday's action by the union's 22,000 members will continue next week if
there is no progress in talks.

Thursday's protest was in 13 plants belonging to Petkim Petrokimya Holding,
Tupras Turkiye Petrol Rafinerileri, Turkiye Petrolleri Anonim Ortakligi,
Petrol Ofisi, Botas Boru Tasimaciligi. The plants are mainly located in the
western and southern coastal regions of the country.



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