Public Sector Workers Want Right to Strike

UNCLAS ANKARA 000111 SENSITIVE SIPDIS Department for DRL/ILCSR and EUR/SE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV ELAB TU SUBJECT: Public Sector Workers Want Right to Strike REF: ANKARA 1708 ¶1. (U) Summary. Tensions between the GOT and its public sector workers persist in the aftermath of the November 25 one-day work stoppage. The government initiated violation-of-employment agreement investigations against some workers because of their participation in the stoppage, temporarily suspending several; all eventually returned to work. The workers and labor confederations promise to continue protests. The KESK confederation is threatening to organize a stoppage bigger than the November 25 event. Pre-election party maneuvering for the prize of two million public sector worker votes will likely encourage the militancy of union leaders. End Summary. ¶2. (U) Following the November 25 one-day strike of public sector workers affiliated with the KESK and Kamu-Sen labor confederations, several ministries investigated their employees' participation in the strike on grounds they violated the no-strike provision of their employment agreements, as threatened by the Prime Minister and Labor Minister. Turk Saglik-Sen (the Health Workers Union),which is affiliated with Kamu-Sen, announced December 10, it will take legal action against investigating Health Ministry officials. Turk Saglik-Sen's brief cites Articles 51 and 90 of the Turkish constitution, which pertain to workers' rights and the supremacy of international law over domestic law. ¶3. (U) The State Railways Administration (TCDD) suspended 16 workers from Adapazari, Ankara, Balikesir, Izmir, Eskisehir, Adana and Istanbul for violating the no-strike provision of their employment agreements. The United Transportation Workers Union (BTS),which represents the TCDD workers, protested the suspensions. BTS declared the suspension decision arbitrary and accused the government of an attempt to suppress two million public sector workers. On December 16, BTS staged a one-day demonstration at the Ankara Train Station to protest the suspensions. Representatives from Kamu-Sen and other unions like Egitim-Sen (the Education Workers Union),as well as some deputies of the opposition Nationalist Action Party (MHP),expressed their solidarity with the demonstrators. ¶4. (U) Railway workers also deplored the suspensions in protests in Adana, Balikesir, Eskisehir and Istanbul. Police detained three union members in Istanbul, but released them without charge. The TCDD suspended 30 more workers after the December 16 protest, but, as of last week, all the suspended employees had returned to work. ¶5. (U) Following the BTS workers' suspensions, KESK President Sami Evren read a press statement in front of the Turkish Grand National Assembly (parliament). Evren insisted both the protests and the strike were legal. He warned the government that, if it continued to refuse to recognize public sector workers' strike rights, his union would launch a stoppage bigger than the November 25 labor action. ¶6. (SBU) Ozturk Turkdogan, the KESK legal advisor, told poloff the railway union had had the greatest impact during the November 25 strike. Turkdogan said the government suspended the railway employees to get revenge. He added investigations are being opened against thousands of education employees, and the unions are providing defense briefs to their members. He said that, after exhausting domestic judicial measures, if the workers still face punishment, they will appeal to the European Court of Human Rights. Turkdogan said KESK's Consultative Board -- around 400 union presidents and branch presidents -- will convene soon to determine a schedule for future protests. ¶7. (SBU) Ilhan Kara, the legal advisor for Kamu-Sen, said the confederation will request the public prosecutor's office take legal action against ministry officials who punished public workers participating in the strike. Kara said Kamu-Sen remains committed to the goal of securing strike rights for its members. He said the current collective bargaining system does not work. ¶8. (SBU) COMMENT: Political pundits and opposition party leaders continue to encourage rumors of early parliamentary elections. Pre-election party maneuvering for the prize of two million public sector worker votes will likely encourage the militancy of union leaders. JEFFREY