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Turkey's major labor organisations release a joint declaration on Friday "shoulder to shoulder in defense of the rights of labor". They call for a joint struggle against the negative effects of the ongoing economic crisis ranging from inflation, unemployment and impoverishment to economic stagnation
The Revolutionary Workers Unions Confederation ( DİSK), Public Workers Unions Confederation (KESK), Turkish Architects and Engineers Chambers Union (TMMOB) and Turkish Physicians Union (TTB) shared the declaration with the public in a press meeting, in Istanbul.
DİSK chair Arzu Çerkezoğlu, KESK co-chair Aysun Gezen, TMMOB executive Emin Koramaz and TTB chair Sinan Adıyaman joined the meeting alongside many representatives from trade unions, political parties and rights NGOs.
Introducing the declaration Arzu Çerkezoğlu announced that, a program for joint struggle will follow to carry on the struggle to work places and to other provinces and distrcits.
Who will pay the bill for the crisis
Slamming the government's refusal of the ongoing economic crisis, Çerkezoğlu said that all indicators in the governmment's "New Economic Program" provided a negation of the government's claims. The government aims at directing the bill to the poor and the working people, she added.
Crisis has different meanings for different people Çerkezoğlu told. For the workers crisis means serial bankruptcy of the small shops, perpetual price hikes, soaring electricity, water and gas bills, unpaid debts, confiscations, unemployment she explained, and warned: "The crisis stems from Turkey's USD 467 Bn domestic and foreign debts, two thirds of which belongs to the banks and the private sector, but they are aiming to transfer the whole burden on the 81 Mn people."
"The ruling AKP is responsible for the crisis"
The labor leaders in their joint declaration pointed their fingers to the government as responsible for the present impasse. "Not only the economic model but the society as such is rotting, and political rulers are responsibile for the persent crash" they said.
"The basic question of our day is this: Who will be protected against the crisis -workers, public employees, unemployed, the young, the women, the pensioners, the farmers, the poor or corporations, banks, bosses and rulers?" Çerkezoğlu asked. And added: "Who will pay the bill for the crisis -the 99 percent who produce all the value through their hard labor or the 1 percent who have caused the crisis?"
"We will not pay this bill!" she answered. "We call for the protection of the 99 percent, not the 1 percent." she concluded. "We call all who accept this demand to join the struggle in defense of labor." (OI / HA/EK)
