Speaking to reporters in Ankara, the prime minister said he had previously met with representatives of Tekel workers and was ready to meet with them again.
In the wake of the monopoly’s privatization, workers dismissed from Tekel started protests in Ankara on Dec. 15, demanding that the government find positions for them with other state institutions or enterprises and institute a six-month suspension on the closure of any further Tekel factories. The government called on the workers to switch to a temporary public employment program under Article 4-C. The program offers 11 months of employment to public workers who lose their jobs following the privatization of a public institution.
Having recently commenced a hunger strike, workers have insisted on talking with the prime minister so as to find a “favorable solution.” Several labor unions have also called on Erdoğan to lend an ear to the Tekel workers’ demands.
