Unions, Professional Organizations Request 'Urgent Measures' During Pandemic

Photos: AA

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

Union confederations and professional organizations have launched a petition calling on the government to take measures to protect people's health and jobs during the coronavirus pandemic.

The petition was opened to signature by the Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey (DİSK), the Confederation of Public Workers' Unions (KESK), the Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (UCTEA/TMMOB) and the Turkish Medical Association (TTB).

The petition includes seven demands from the government:

1. Apart from those producing necessary and urgent goods and services, all work must be urgently stopped.
2. Dismissals should be banned during the pandemic, small shop owners should be supported, employees should be granted paid leave and the unemployed should be unconditionally paid unemployment salary.
3. Payments of consumer, house and vehicle loans, credit card debts, and electricity, water, natural gas and communication bills should be postponed without interest rates during the outbreak risk.
4. In this period, private health providers should be brought under public control, citizens' access to healthcare services should be completely free of charge, without exceptions and preconditions.
5. The coordination in the fight against the pandemic should be strictly disciplined, scientific approach and information sharing should be open and transparent. Regarding Covid-19 tests, which have become a criterion of trust, a scientific, pervasive and fair process where results are announced quickly should be ensured.
6. In all indispensable jobs, especially physicians, health and municipal workers, all deficiencies, most notably protective equipment, should be eliminated, it must be ensured that there will be no disruptions and those who work in these jobs should be tested regularly.
7. Practical and legal regulations must be implemented for those who are considered the most disadvantaged groups during periods of a pandemic, the poor who do not have any income or savings, migrants and prisoners. (DB/AÖ/VK)