ITF-ITUC To "Shame" Turkish PM While Ignoring Direct Action & Privatization Policies By IMF-WB

ITF-ITUC To "Shame" Turkish PM While Ignoring Direct Action & Privatization Policies By IMF-WB

http://www.itfglobal.org/news-online/index.cfm/newsdetail/9169

20 June 2013
Unions shame Turkish PM with worldwide actions
British trade unions, the TUC (Trades Union Congress) and Turkish community groups will be among those joining the ITF (International Transport Workers’ Federation) in London tomorrow to protest at the savage repression taking place in Istanbul. The UK action isjust one part of a world day of action supported by global union organisations such as the IUF (International Union of Food Workers), ITF and ITUC (International Trade Union Confederation).
 
The London demonstration will take place outside the Turkish Embassy at 43 Belgrave Square, London SW1X 8PA on Friday 21 June from 15:00 to 17:30. Journalists and photographers are invited to attend. A delegation will attempt to enter at 15:30 to hand deliver a letter to Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (text below).
 
Similar actions are expected in Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Lebanon, The Netherlands, The Philippines, Thailand, Tunisia and the USA, among others, while international trade union members have also been showing their support in Taksim Square itself.
 
ITF president Paddy Crumlin commented: “Erdoğan’s actions are shaming himself, his government and Turkey. Trade unions will be holding up a mirror to his disgrace tomorrow and demanding an end to this repression. In the name of civilisation and decency he must cease these savage attacks. The future of Turkish democracy depends onit.”
 
The letter being delivered at the Turkish Embassy in London states:
We the undersigned on behalf of global unions ITF and IUF, UK trade unions and the Taksim Solidarity Committee London between us represent millions of union members and workersworldwide, including in Turkey.
 
We stand in solidarity with the peoples of Turkey and express serious concern at the use of brutal and excessive violence by government security forces against people peacefully exercising their rights of freedom of assembly, an essential part of freedom of expression. Turkish police actions have turned Istanbul, Ankara and other cities where demonstrations take place into battlegrounds and according to reports received, four people have died, many have been seriously injured and thousands are in custody.
 
We are concerned that your Government appears to be engaging in such repression as a regular practice based on this and earlier episodes; still fresh in our minds are the year’s May Day celebrations, which turned to bloodshed after attacks on demonstrators by the security forces.
 
We believe that the right to peaceful demonstration is a basic element of genuine democracy. We are alsoconcerned that since the 2011 elections, the legal and illegal denial of fundamental trade union rights has increased. This has included the adoption of laws that discourage rather than encourage the exercise of those rights, inaction, at best, against employers who deny workers' fundamental rights, abuses in the judiciary system, prevention of de facto application of legalstrikes, and violence against trade unionists coupled with limits on freedom of assembly and expression. These constitute attacks on fundamental human rights and democracy.
 
We urgently call on you to take the following actions to calm the current situation:
• The Government in Ankara should put an end to state violence against peaceful demonstrators and ensure that the right of freedom of expression and assembly is guaranteed in all public areas of Turkey. In particular we call on your government to ban the use of tear gas.
• Those responsible for the thousands of injured people and the deaths of Mehmet Ayvalıtaş, Abdullah Cömert, Ethem Sarısülük and Mustafa Sarı should be held accountable, dismissed from their posts and prosecuted before the law.
• Detained citizens who attended the protests across the country should be immediately released with an official statement declaring that there will not be any investigations pursued into them.
• All the legal and practical barriers against the exercise of trade union rights are removed and the right to strike is respected.
• KESK trade unionists, detained journalists and all others unjustly held for legitimate acts of protests and opposition should be released immediately.
• Turkey and its people deserve much better. They deserve democracy and the protection of all theirhuman rights, including trade union rights. We encourage your Government tomove in that direction in the crucial days and weeks ahead.
 
We will make photos available following the event
 
For more information please see www.itfglobal.org/campaigns/Direngezi.cfm and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ITFglobal/events.Photos of the events will be posted at www.flickr.com/photos/97673278@N03/sets/72157634196713490.
 

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Turkey high on global delivery meeting agenda

14 June 2013

In solidarity with the protesters in Turkey, activists at the ITF global delivery meeting in Nyon, Switzerland
 
The situation in Turkey and union plans to step up global support for members of ITF affiliate Tumtis at DHL Turkey were high on the agenda at a joint ITF/UNI Global Union (UNI) meeting in Nyon, Switzerland. The event brought together trade unionists engaged in organising in the largest global delivery companies – DHL, UPS, TNT, Fedex and Geopost. 
 
The trade unionists condemned the violence towards protestors in Istanbul and across Turkey and declared their support for the protests. 
 
Representatives of the ITF, UNI, German trade union ver.di and Turkish ITF-affiliate Tumtis discussed the situation in DHL Turkey, where Tumtis members have been involved in an intense struggle with the multinational for over a year and 37 workers have been dismissed, simply for trying to organise a trade union. Plans were made to intensify the co-ordinated global effort in support for Tumtis, in order to ensure the reinstatement of dismissed workers and the establishment of a collective bargaining agreement with DHL in Turkey.
 
In a discussion led by the Global Labour Institute’s Dave Spooner, participants explored the issue of precarious work in the global delivery companies, where outsourcing and subcontracting affords workers no rights to a permanent contract or regular working hours.
 
Innovative approaches and methods for organising were discussed, utilising the experience of activists organising in the global delivery arena in Asia and Central and South America.
 
Participants looked at supply chain organising and the powerful role in affecting change that global delivery unions had in co-ordination with trade unions in the supply chain for goods and services.
 
Ingo Marowsky, ITF head of global supply chains, logistics and organising projects, commented: “Our unions in all the big companies – DHL, TNT, UPS, Geopost and Fedex – shared inspiring experiences of organising in their countries and the challenges they face. It’s clear that through co-ordinated global action by ITF and UNI unions, these companies will be held to account – no matter where they operate.”
 
The meeting passed a resolution condemning the TNT Group in Italy, which has cut 854 jobs, a third of the national TNT workforce, and backing the demands of the FILT-CGIL and FIT-CISL unions that the company revoke the job cuts and submit a corporate business plan. It also passed motions of support for UPS workers in Panama and DHL Employees Union in India.

Meanwhile, the ITF today made a statement to the Day-Mer Turkish community organisation in London supporting the protestors and condemning the government repression. The full statement can be viewed here.