Union executive: Workers' Day against the crisis

"We should show the world the unity of workers against bosses and their government. We must state clearly that we do not want to pay the burden of the crisis.”

As Workers’ Day approaches ANF talked with Tum Bel-Sen member and general finance secretary Satı Buruncu about the pressures on the unions in the present crisis times. 

Buruncu said there were two things that could not be achieved during the AKP's rule, the first of which was the extortion of the severance pay of the working class, and the second the job security of the public workers.

“The AKP - said Buruncu - did not achieve this in previous years, but during the State of Emergency, tens of thousands of public workers were dismissed. 1,500 local government workers, who were members of our union, were left without work and thus income just like that, in a minute. It was even discussed whether they could vote in the last local elections, as if this lawlessness experienced by public workers dismissed by the Decree was not enough. The candidate who won the elections were prevented from getting their place even though they had been elected councillors or mayors.” 

Reform package against workers

Buruncu said that the reform package announced by Minister of Finance Albayrak is in fact a counter-reform package for workers, and added that indeed this package will mean losing in areas such as job safety and trade union freedoms. 

“Workers with little taxes, low income, will actually face more unemployment and poverty - said the trade unionist - they still continue to transfer funds to the bosses who created the crisis. This is the most important reason workers must continue to struggle. This 1 May is an important date. We should show the world the unity of workers against bosses and their government. We must state clearly that we do not want to pay the burden of the crisis.”