After losing their jobs in the wake of the monopoly’s privatization, Tekel workers from across the country began a protest in Ankara on Dec. 15. The workers are demanding that the government transfer them to other public institutions. The government in response has offered workers the opportunity to switch to a temporary employment program under Article 4/C, which provides jobs for workers dismissed from privatized public institutions for 11 months.
Representatives of Turkey’s major labor unions, the Confederation of Revolutionary Workers’ Unions (DİSK), the Confederation of Public Sector Trade Unions (KESK) and the Confederation of Turkish Real Trade Unions (Hak-İş) have decided to go on strike on Feb. 3 in support of the dismissed Tekel workers unless the government finds a solution to the current impasse.
Workers and unions had asked Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to meet with them to address the problem, and Erdoğan announced on Tuesday that he would meet with Türk-İş President Mustafa Kumlu to discuss possible solutions to the Tekel issue. Following the prime minister’s statement, Türk-İş invited the presidents of DİSK, KESK, Hak-İş and the Civil Servants Trade Union (Memur-Sen) to a meeting to decide on a roadmap for the next few days. Kumlu said the parties at the meeting agreed that workers would slow down production on Feb. 3 if his meeting with the prime minister fails to produce a solution. Memur-Sen did not send any officials to the meeting. “The Memur-Sen president is in İstanbul to attend a funeral; however the union acknowledged that they also supported the idea of a work slowdown,” Kumlu told reporters.
The Türk-İş head met with DİSK President Süleyman Çelebi, Kamu-Sen President Bircan Akyıldız, KESK head Sami Evren and Hak-İş Vice President Mahmut Arslan on Tuesday in Ankara. The parties agreed that workers affiliated with the unions would stage a one-day strike in support of the dismissed Tekel workers unless a solution is reached. Speaking to reporters late on Tuesday, following the meeting at Türk-İş headquarters, Kumlu said they are committed to do their best so that the Tekel issue can be solved. As he thanked the prime minister for lending an ear to their demands, Kumlu said offers from the government were important for the future of workers.
Workers from labor unions affiliated with Türk-İş recently showed up to work late in support of the dismissed Tekel workers.
Asked whether the work slowdown could further protests, Kumlu said they would decide on this in line with developments. “It is not possible to comment on this. We will see what happens in the coming days.” He said Türk-İş demands that the dismissed Tekel workers be transferred to other public institutions and retain their rights. An employment program under 4/C does not allow workers to receive severance payments. The union head said workers had halted their hunger strike and would decide whether to resume it, following the end of his meeting with the prime minister. Kumlu, however, said the protests would not end until a favorable solution is reached. Asked about a possible general strike, Kumlu said his recent statements had been misinterpreted by some parties and that a general strike was at the moment out of the question.
