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Türk-İş secretary-general resigns as Tekel issue remains unresolved
Following the sale of Tekel to British American Tobacco Investments Ltd., some 8,247 Tekel workers lost their jobs. This led Tekel workers from across the country to commence a protest against the government. The government offered the workers employment elsewhere but only on 11-month renewable contracts under Article 4/C. The workers, however, insisted that the government provide permanent jobs for them in other public institutions while preserving their existing rights.
The number of dismissed Tekel workers who applied to benefit from 4/C reached 1,370 last week. Observers expect more workers to switch in the days to come as the government has granted workers until the end of this month to accept the 4/C conditions.
Speaking to reporters in Ankara, Türkel said he would not continue as the secretary-general of Türk-İş. The former union leader said he would share the details on his decision in a press conference shortly.
Resignation to open Pandora’s box?
While handling the Tekel protest, Türkel had to confront a barrage of criticism over alleged irregularities in the union and accusations of being politically motivated. Observers argued that the former Türk-İş secretary-general could have used the Tekel protest as a means to claim the Türk-İş presidency in the long run. Rumors abound in Ankara that Türkel was preparing to call for a general assembly of Türk-İş so as to run for the presidency. The former secretary-general needs the support of one-fifth of the Türk-İş delegates before he can call for a general assembly.
 A view from a recent demonstration in support of dismissed workers from Tekel. TekGıda-İş President Mustafa Türkel, the main actor behind the Tekel protest, which entered its 71st straight day, resigned as Türk-İş secretary-general on Tuesday while the Tekel impasse still awaits to be adressed. |
Türkel and 11 other members of TekGıda-İş have been on trial since April 2007 over claims of having caused the union a loss of some TL 5.5 million following alleged irregularities in the years 2003, 2004 and 2005. The most serious accusation was the “evaporation” of TL 4 million in 2004. According to claims in the court, TekGıda-İş sold a guesthouse belonging to the union in Ankara to the Highway Builders’ Union (Yol-İş) for TL 4 million in 2004. Yol-İş said they paid this amount to TekGıda-İş via an electronic funds transfer (EFT); however, there is no sign of the transfer in TekGıda-İş’s accounting records. The court is now investigating what happened to the money.
In addition to criticism over alleged irregularities in the union’s coffers, Türkel has also been accused of having lost his impartiality and being politically motivated. Such criticism has become particularly apparent since the beginning of the Tekel protest. The Civil Servants’ Trade Union (Memur-Sen) recently accused Türkel of slandering their union and the Confederation of Turkish Real Trade Unions (Hak-İş) following remarks by Türkel depicting Hak-İş and Memur-Sen as “tools” of the government. Türkel said he was against the two union’s involvement in the Tekel issue.
Early on Monday, Türkel said they would meet with representatives of the unions affiliated with TekGıda-İş on Tuesday to discuss the next steps in the Tekel dispute. Türkel signaled that he would step down on Monday when he said, “You are free to do what you like,” following a battle of words with a group of angry Tekel workers who were expecting an explanation as regards the future of the protest. Türkel said they would later meet with the Tekel workers in separate groups. His remarks were followed by a clash between union officials and workers who disapproved of Türkel’s approach and forced their way into the Türk-İş headquarters.
Meanwhile, the presidents of Türk-İş, the Confederation of Revolutionary Workers’ Unions (DİSK), the Turkish Public Workers’ Labor Union (Kamu-Sen) and the Confederation of Public Sector Trade Unions (KESK) decided on Monday to go on a general strike on May 26 unless the government comes up with a solution to the Tekel impasse.
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