Labourstruggle in Turkey

Thu Oct 16 06:43:06 BST 1997

THE 10th. DISK CONGRESS

In the weekend of 12-14 September, the DISK (Revolutionary Workers'
Trade Union Confederation) held its 10th. congress. Sadly enough it
can be said that, looking at the way things went during and after the
congress, the confederation should be renamed in trade union
confederation to defend to interests of the National Security Council.

This is even more regrettable because the DISK could, in the first
years after its founding in 1967 as a split of the state trade union
Türk-Is, be called a real revolutionary trade union, leading the
revolutionary mass struggle of those years for a socialist Turkey,
against (American) imperialism. 
The DISK had millions of member in those days. But gradually the
confederation took a more moderate course and more and more it came
under the control of the state. When the last revolutionary board
member, Kemal Türkler, was murdered at the end of the 70's, the
avant-garde role it had played was actually finished. The basis was
more revolutionary than the leadership since then. Kemal Türkler was
the last representative of the revolutionary workers' movement in the
time prior to the military coup of 1980, representing the large
revolutionary workers' movement of that time which saw syndicalism as
a weapon for the revolution in stead of an organ of consultation with
the employers. 
The murder of Kemal Türkler wasn't able to end the revolutionary
atmosphere in the country and this led to the third coup in 30
years. After the coup, the DISK was banned, its possessions were
confiscated, officials and members were thrown in jail. The present
chairman, Ridvan Budak, was the chairman of the textile union in those
days and he too went to jail. The military pursued a policy in which
good behaviour in jail was rewarded with release. Ridvan Budak quickly
grasped the message and he founded a choir which sang Moslem
songs. The military saw he posed no threat to the fascist order and he
was released in 1984. After his release he joint the social democratic
SODEP and he soon became a board member.

In the beginning of the 90's, the DISK was re-founded again and its
possessions were returned, albeit under the condition that it's
political line was to be controlled by the National Security Council.
To Ridvan Budak, this condition was no problem at all and he rose to
become chairman of this parody of a trade union confederation. And in
the meanwhile he became extremely rich. How much the DISK is on the
line of the National Security Council became obvious half a year ago
when representatives of the DISK went to the European parliament to
plead for a quick EU-membership of Turkey and less criticism against
the human rights violations in Turkey. The DISK also played a major
role in the "soft coup" against the Refah Party and the transformation
of the broad protest in society against the collaboration of the army,
the government and the Mafia which became obvious after the so-called
Susurluk affair,  into a protest against the Moslem government,
orchestrated by the army and the National Security Council. 

The 10th. congress.

Illustrative for its present character, the 10th. congress of the DISK
was held in a 5-star hotel and there was a massive police presence to
protect the congress against left-wing demonstrations. In the weeks
prior to the congress, especially the militants of the Revolutionary
Workers' Movement (DIH) protested against the present state of affairs
within the DISK, staging actions against the harmonious ties  with the
National Security Council and the statutory rules of the congress. The
DIH is an organisation of revolutionary workers within the DISK,
organised semi-illegal by necessity. The DIH has to right to put
forward candidates for the board and it has a voting right on
congresses et cetera. The DISK leadership considers the DIH to be a
burden and does everything in its power to get rid of it.

The 10th. congress was a special one because the contradictions
between the board and the real representatives of the workers in
Turkey became apparent quite clearly. 

Duzgun Tekin's mother spoke about her disappeared son, a DISK member,
and the lack of interest and effort of the DISK regarding the
disappearances. She was totally neglected by the board. 

When the DIH candidate, Erol Ekici, having the statutory right to
address the congress, took the microphone to speak about the real
problems of the workers movement in Turkey, the contra-guerrilla and
its practice of disappearances, torture, blood baths and daily
repression, the board tried to disconnect the microphone. When this
failed, thanks to the resistance of the DIH militants, the board just
left the conference room. 

The statutes of the DISK regarding the possibility to send
representatives to the congress came under heavy fire. As bizarre as
it may sound for a trade union confederation, the present statutes
rule that the amount of contribution money determines the number of
representatives that can be sent to the congress by an affiliate
union. The more money, the more votes. The speech by Ridvan Budak was
interrupted by workers who were unable to sent delegates because of
lack of money.

The most important measure on the agenda was the liquidation of nine
regional chapters of the Genel-Is (General Union). These chapters were
a thorn in the flesh of the National Security Council and the board of
the DISK because of their militant position in the class struggle. The
Genel-Is congress had rejected the liquidation of their chapters. But
a few days after the congress, the board announced that the chapters
had been disbanded by them singlehandedly. The resistance against this
decision is still going on and it remains unclear how this relates to
the general statutes of the DISK itself. The last word about this has
not been said yet. 

Interesting in the liquidation of these nine union chapters is the
collaboration of the board members from the ÖDP and the HADEP. It's
only logical that the powers that be want the nine most militant
chapters if the Genel-Is closed., it's in their character, but where
lies the interest of the HADEP and the ÖDP to collaborate in this
decision? The general board of the Genel-Is is in the hands of an
alliance of the ÖDP, the HADEP, the DIH (each with one representative)
and three CHP members (social democrats). When the liquidation of the
chapters was voted on, three votes went against, three supported
liquidation, and one vote abstained. The ÖDP supported liquidation,
and the HADEP representative abstained, thus effectively helping the
DISK board because the chairman's vote was decisive and he, Atilla
Öngel, voted for the liquidation of the nine most militant chapters of
the Genel-Is...

Another consequence of the congress was the expulsion of several
active members because of their militant stance. Most striking is the
expulsion of Mehmet Karaguz, chairman of the liquidated 2nd. chapter
of Genel-Is. Initially there were five reasons given for his
expulsion: 1. He had signed an newspaper announcement to commemorate
the murder of  DISK leader Kemal Türkler by fascists. 2. He allegedly
had misuse union property (a telephone) for the campaign against the
disappearance of DISK member Duzgun Tekin. 3. He refused to co-operate
in the sale of the building of the chapter. (He refused to hang out a
"For Sale" sign) 4. He protested the sacking of an union activist in a
newspaper advertisement. 5. He refused to co-operate in distributing a
joint statement by the employers' association TISK and the DISK
against the Refah government.

When these facts were revealed, protests came in from all over Turkey
and the board came up with a statement that these had not been the
reasons for the expulsion. However, they failed to disclose what their
reasons were till now...

Summarising, it can be said that the board succeeded in pushing
through the measures and appointments it desired but never before have
they been in such problems with the grass root membership. The board
will have to explain to the members why they went against the congress
will not to liquidate the Genel-Is chapters. The number of members
will fall even further because of the undemocratic behaviour of the
board and its collaboration with the National Security Council
regarding the Susurluk case.

The ÖDP has been unmasked as a party which fits in the long tradition
in Turkey of parties which claim to be left and independent, but who
in fact do as they are told by the National Security Council. 

The HADEP will have to explain why it didn't vote against the wish of
the National Security Council. Does it want to show that it is in for
a dialogue?

-- 
Press Agency Ozgurluk
The Struggle for justice, democracy and human rights in Turkey and Kurdistan
http://www.ozgurluk.org                          
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