Worker Union: Statutory Decrees Violate Workers’ Rights

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Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions (DİSK) Chair Kani Beko has stated that the most basic rights of workers are being violated by the Statutory Decrees (KHK) No. 677-678 issued on Tuesday.

These two KHKs may leave sub-contracted workers unemployed because of the trustees appointed to municipalities, jeopardize workers’ rights and receivables, and they returned ban on strike in public transportation and banking sectors, Beko said.

Tens of thousands of workers may be left unemployed

Beko’s statement is:

“By relieving the elected mayors of their duty, authorization has been granted for a massive worker massacre to the trustees appointed to municipalities. The trustees were authorized for unilateral cancellation of contracts, which might come to mean that tens of thousands of workers may lose their jobs.

“No adjudication is required for this authority to be exercised. This legislation, which aims to replace workers by firing them with those who are close to the government and would agree to work in lower wages, is unacceptable”.

Rights and receivables of workers are now jeopardized

The KHK No. 677, which also involves the legislation concerning seizing rights and receivables of contractors who do business with trustee appointed municipalities, jeopardizes workers’ rights and receivables.

Strike postponement despite Constitutional Court

KHK No.678 includes a legislation, which restricts “right to strike” that has already become almost unexercisable because of legal regulations and Council of Ministers decisions.

“The strike bans, which were revoked by the Constitutional Court two years ago, in public transportation and banking sectors have been brought back under the name of ‘strike postponement’. By this way, the Constitutional Court’s decision has been by-passed”. (NV/TK)