Public Employees Confederation Unions (KESK) member Gönül Kural Şimşek spoke to ANF about the increasing poverty with rising inflation in Turkey.

The trade unionists said that the share of the workers in the budget is decreasing, and added that the government's choice is in favor of capital, not labor, and that this was seen once again in the Collective Labor Agreement (TİS) negotiations in the public sector.

Şimşek said that the government, which oppresses the workers under taxes, only speaks in favour of the employers and added: "Workers in the municipalities run by different political parties, in business lines where there was no activity before, whether unionized or non-unionized, are protesting for additional raises. While the share of the budget allocated to workers decreases every year, the share of capital increases as the salaries of all workers approach the minimum wage. There are budget negotiations and metal business line contracts in September. I think poverty will get deeper."

Exploitation is increasing

Stating that the AKP government is not on the side of the workers but on the side of profit and war, Gönül Kural Şimşek said: "The government provides capital tax deductions, incentives and loans to employers. This is actually the biggest indicator that this is a government of capital. While the Turkish economy grew by 5.5 percent in 2022, the share of labor decreased from 30 percent to 26.3 percent in one year.

We saw how olive groves were given away to Limak Holding, known as the ‘gang of 5’ in Akbelen. Despite the resistance of the people, the government continues to protect the interests of the capital close to it and uses force on the people. It was reported in the press that the state paid more than one billion liras in incentives to this company.

All capital groups are getting their share from this growth, not just employers close to the government. The most concrete example is that Koç Holding, Turkey's largest capital group, quadrupled its profits, while the salaries of workers who were previously paid three times the minimum wage are now nearing the minimum wage. As workers work harder and get paid less, capital increases exploitation."

Budget allocated to war

More than 20 percent of the budget was spent on war in 2022, said Şimşek, adding: "We all see and experience the increasing pressure on the people and workers struggling for the smallest of rights. We have all seen the violence against private sector teachers who took the streets demanding an increase in wages. For several weeks now, the Saturday Mothers have been prevented from making statements about their relatives who have disappeared at the hands of the state. We know that if the budget allocated to war and armament during the earthquake had been spent on building solid housing, such a great disaster would not have occurred. The government also uses the budget it allocates to war to restrain the workers and the people."

We should struggle for common demands

Şimşek said that it is necessary to organize to fight against poverty and added: "There is no other way than for the largest segments affected by this poverty and price increases to come together and fight for their common demands. The biggest responsibility here falls to political parties and unions. It is necessary to establish the broadest labor platforms and to make efforts for labor organizations to develop ways and methods that will unite the workers around their demands."