Turkey: One-day general strike

Following a breakdown in negotiations between the government and the representatives of TEKEL workers, the six trade union confederations representing the interests of the TEKEL workers in Ankara decided to launch a mass one-day strike on Thursday, February 4, 2010. The hunger strike has also been resumed. TEKEL is the recently privatized public enterprise producing cigarettes, tobacco, alcohol and spirits in Turkey. More information here.

Also in Turkey new members of Birleşik Metal-Is at the Ekoendustri are under attack by management who have fired 15 active union leaders after the workers applied for union representation to the Labour Ministry. Other unions members face intense harassment and intimidation by the company who have been pressuring workers to resign from Birleşik Metal-Is or face dismissal.

The IMF and EMF are calling on auto components and sports equipment maker Ekoendustri to reinstate the workers immediately and respect ILO conventions 87 and 98 to which Turkey is a signatory. Full story here.

Following a breakdown in negotiations between the government and the representatives of TEKEL workers, the six trade union confederations representing the interests of the TEKEL workers in Ankara decided to launch a mass one-day strike on Thursday, February 4, 2010. The hunger strike has also been resumed. TEKEL is the recently privatized public enterprise producing cigarettes, tobacco, alcohol and spirits in Turkey. More information here.

Also in Turkey new members of Birleşik Metal-Is at the Ekoendustri are under attack by management who have fired 15 active union leaders after the workers applied for union representation to the Labour Ministry. Other unions members face intense harassment and intimidation by the company who have been pressuring workers to resign from Birleşik Metal-Is or face dismissal.

The IMF and EMF are calling on auto components and sports equipment maker Ekoendustri to reinstate the workers immediately and respect ILO conventions 87 and 98 to which Turkey is a signatory. Full story here.