Workers for Turkey’s former alcohol and tobacco monopoly, or Tekel, have decided to take a three-week break from their non-stop protests in central Ankara after winning a small victory in the courts.
The workers have been striking since Dec. 15, but Mustafa Türkel, head of the Tobacco, Drink, Food and Allied Workers' Union of Turkey, or Tek Gıda-İş, said, “This resistance has yet to end.”
As the workers were taking down their tents outside the union building, Türkel said, “They are going home to reunite with their families and summon the energy for the next term.”
The move to temporarily stop the strike comes after a decision by the Council of State to extend the Tekel workers’ grace period before transferring them to 4/C status, which would have required them to find new work in a public institution within 30 days. The workers were also upset about being required to accept reduced wages, benefits and rights.
After losing their jobs amid the privatization of Tekel, thousands began protesting and demanding to be transferred to other public offices with their rights intact.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, offering an 11-month temporary employment option, also known as 4/C, urged Tekel workers to sign the contracts by March 2. Labor confederations, however, brought the issue to the Council of State, demanding that the time limit set by the government be canceled. Following the court’s ruling, Tekel workers now have more time before they must make their final decision and will continue to receive their severance pay.
“We are still speaking on behalf of 11,000 workers. We will widen our strike as much as possible from April 1. Colleagues who are still working but will lose their jobs in May or June at the latest may go on strike to support us,” Türkel said.
Around 125,000 workers of to-be-privatized state companies will face worse working conditions under 4/C contracts in case of the Tekel workers’ failure, Türkel said.
Calling on the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, Türkel urged the introduction of an immediate solution. “Otherwise, Tekel workers will be present during any mass meeting or election campaign to say, ‘We are an example that they are liars.’”
“We will never give up resistance unless the 4/C monster is canceled,” Türkel said.