Tekel Workers Crack Heads of Union Confederation for General Strike

Tekel workers, struggling for their rights since middle of December, surged to the platform and called for a full-scale strike after the speech of Mustafa Kumlu, Chairman of the Turkish Confederation of Labour Unions (Türk-İş), who had remained silent on the topic of a general strike. The workers occupied the Türk-İş building after a demonstration on Sunday (17 January) and demanded chairman Kumlu either to resign or to declare a general strike.

The workers of Tekel, former monopoly holder of alcoholic beverages and tobacco products, met for a protest march to carry on with their struggle against the loss of personal employers rights due to privatization in Ankara on Sunday morning. About 30,000 people came from other places of the country in order to support the protest. Several unions, business and special organizations, left-wing parties and groups participated as well in the demonstration.

Kumlu from Türk-İş referred to the government in his speech: "We come together at this place, we stand up united and remind you of what we are. Let's say it did not work out, what else can we do? We will show you the red cart when the elections come".

While Mustafa Kumlu talked on the platform, the workers shouted the slogan "General strike, general resistance". Tekel workers rushed to the platform subsequent the speech and demanded Kumlu to return, shouting "Türk-İş on duty for general strike". After this, a confederation executive came to the podium and declared that all confederations apart from the Hak-İş Workers Union Confederation and the Public Workers Unions Confederation of Turkey (Kamu-Sen) will call for a full scale strike and a general resistance as soon as possible.

Future of 12,000 workers still uncertain

The 12,000 workers that will be made redundant in the course of privatization struggle against the loss of their personal employers rights and being transferred to 4-C staff, which would mean the abdication of social security. The government did not take any steps against privatization so far.

Türk-İş supports the workers by interrupting work for one hour every Friday. The protest march entitled "Democracy and Rights for Labour, Peace and Freedom" on Sunday was part of this struggle. Additionally, Tekel workers had initiated a three days sit-down strike from Friday till the demonstration on Sunday.

The protest march was furthermore supported by the Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions (DİSK), the Confederation of Trade Unions of Public Employees (KESK), the Turkish Doctors Association (TBB), and the Turkey Union of Chambers of Architects and Engineers (TMMOB).

The privatization process in Tekel was initiated in 2001. Later on, the sections of alcoholic beverages and cigarettes were demerged. The privatization process for alcoholic beverages was completed in 2008 and sold to Mey Beverages.

8 out of 17 factories for alcoholic beverages were closed down in the course of the privatization. 1,700 workers out of a total of 3,631 were transferred to Mey, the other ones left the company. In 2009, the number of workers decreased to 323 people, less than 10 percent of the original number of staff.

The cigarette section was bought by British American Tobacco (BAT) in 2008. There were 477,000 tobacco manufacturers in 2001. By 2008, the number had decrease by 3 fifth to 194,000. Currently, the sections of tobacco leaves and salt processing are being privatized. Tekel employs 12,000 workers now, compared to 31,000 employees in 2001. (EÜ/VK)