Public Servants on Strike for the Right to Strike

Thousands of people took to the streets in major cities all over Turkey to take part in yesterday's (25 November) warning strike by the public workers who urge for the right to strike and for collective agreements. The public servants were supported by trade associations, workers' unions and left-wing organizations. The Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions (DISK), Turkey Labor Unions Confederation (Türk-İş), the Turkish Physicians Association and the Turkish Pharmacists Association were among the supporting organizations. Pro-government Civil Servants' Unions Confederation (Memur-Sen) did not participate.

Co-organizer of the strike Public Workers' Unions Federation (KESK) president Sami Evren warned the government, in his speech in front of thousands of people on Beyazıt Square in the old town of Istanbul."If you do not grant these rights to us, we will expand the strike" Evren warned the governmment.

KESK president Evren recalled that they proposed the government a collective labour agreement board as a solution for  "collective bargaining" on 15 August: "The prime minister ran away from the board. He wanted to receive our decisions in a collective bargaining board. We refused that". Evren emphasized the need for sitting down at a collective labour agreement table on equal terms in order to properly defend the workers' rights and interests.

According to Turkish labor law public servants are not enttiled for collective bargaining and public servants unions are not granted the right for strike.

Universities would also benefit from collective agreement

bianet also spoke to academics and students from Galatasaray University in Istanbul who were on their way to the gathering on Beyazit Square. They emphasized that the right to collective agreement and the right to strike would also liberalize the universities and the academic environment as a whole.

Education and Science Workers' Union (Eğitim-Sen) spokesman Mustafa Ulus underlined that yesterday's strike was significant for public services such as education, health and communication, too. He pointed out that for those sectors the recognition of the right to collective agreement and the right to strike is required likewise. Ulus also voiced the demand for secured working conditions.

Istanbul on strike

In Istanbul, railway services were partially out of service, as well as the mail delivery service and several hospitals that would only accept emergencies. Besides, some school and university students closed down for the day.

Approximately 10,000 people gathered in front of the Çapa Faculty of Medicine on Istanbul's European side, shouting slogans like "We demand the right to collective agreements", "Forbid dismissals", "Work for the unemployed" and "free education and health service". "We don't want to be unemployed graduates" was heard from high school and university students. Another crowd had come together at Sirkeci station at the entrance of the Golden Horn. Both groups met on Beyazit Square later on.

Ankara: Police force against striking workers

In Ankara, the police stepped in against the workers on strike. The police violently intervened against a strike group that had gathered on Ankara's popular Ziya Gökalp Avenue.

Since the morning the rail service in Turkey's capital was down. The railroad workers had posted placards at their work places. 2 hospitals limited their service to running the emergency rooms only. Workers in the health sector gathered at the Hacıtepe Faculty of Medicine Hospital. (EK/TK/EÜ/VK)

Click here to view pictures of the strike.