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MULTIMEDIA
May 27, 2012
 
 
 
 
 
 

Civil servants’ strike halts trains across Turkey

Eskişehir train conductors protested the firing of 16 civil servants who were let go for participating in a warning strike in late November.
17 December 2009 / TODAY’S ZAMAN WITH WIRES , İSTANBUL
Civil servants working at train stations across Turkey began to strike on Wednesday to protest the firing of 16 civil servants who were let go because they had participated in a warning strike in late November to protest a substandard wage increase of 2.5 percent.
The strike affected a number of trains across the nation. The Anadolu Express, which was scheduled to leave the Haydarpaşa train station in İstanbul at 10 p.m., and the Ankara Express, which was scheduled to leave Haydarpaşa at 10:30 p.m., were cancelled because of the strike.

The civil servants announced that they would not leave the train stations until the 16 fired civil servants were employed again.

Riot police intervened, and tension escalated between police and civil servants when a union official was detained.

Confederation of Public Sector Trade Unions (KESK) Chairman Sami Evren said police had tried to stop the strike, adding that they will continue to protest.

A group that gathered at the Eskişehir train station held placards reading “Pressure cannot stop us” and chanted slogans. A number of conductors joined the protests, exiting their trains.

Members of Türk Ulaşım-Sen, a Turkish transportation union, held a protest at the Adapazarı train station. Due to conductors participating in the protests, the Adapazarı-Haydarpaşa train did not run on Wednesday.

The İzmir Mavi train, running between İzmir and Ankara, and the 9 Eylül Express were stopped at the Balıkesir train station, with the conductors exiting the trains and participating in the protests. Because the trains did not continue on their journeys, the passengers were put on buses, which returned them to the trains’ stations of origin.

TCDD manager: 16 cannot return until investigation completed

Turkish State Railways (TCDD) General Manager Süleyman Karaman said the 16 employees have been suspended for stopping a number of trains and taking conductors off trains by force during the Nov. 25 warning protest. “Returning these workers to their jobs without completing the investigation is impossible,” he said, adding that they had overstepped their authority. He further stated that the 16 workers can be employed again if the ongoing investigation proves them innocent.

 
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© Feza Gazetecilik A.Ş. 2007, Ahmet Taner Kışlalı Cad. No: 6, Bahçelievler - İstanbul 34194 Turkey, +90 (212) 454 1454, +90 (212) 454 1497(fax)