Turkey: still no Union-members allowed in Parliament

[ozgurluk at xs4all.nl]

Nov. 06

Ankara - Turkish Daily News 

Bayram Meral, chairman of the Confederation of Turkish Labor Unions
(Turk-Is), criticized the Parliamentary Constitutional Commission's
rejection of the draft law proposing an amendment of the
Constitution's 82nd article, the Anatolia news agency reported.

In a written statement, Meral said that barring labor union members
from becoming parliamentarians, as stated in the 82nd article, is
upsetting and wrong. The 82nd article of the current Constitution was
passed by the military administration following the Sept. 12 coup in
1980, despite resistance from labor unions and other nongovernmental
organizations.

The statement went on to say that the 82nd article of the Constitution
is an obstacle to a well-functioning democracy, and that even though
all political parties had promised to pass a law to amend the 82nd
article, the draft bill was struck down by the Constitutional
Commission. According to Meral this shows that some politicians still
support the legal mentality of the military administration of the
Sept. 12 coup.

Meral claimed that deputies who voted against the amendment of the
82nd article proved their hostility towards workers and labor unions.

-- 
Press Agency Ozgurluk
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