Labor Faces Uphill Struggle in Turkey id DAA03723; Fri, 17 Oct 1997 03:29:30 -0400 Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit source:Press Agency Ozgurluk 16 Oct 1997 THE 10th. DISK CONGRESS In the weekend of 12-14 September, the DISK (Revolutionary Workers' Trade Union Confederation) held its 10th. congress. Sadly enough it can be said that, looking at the way things went during and after the congress, the confederation should be renamed in trade union confederation to defend to interests of the National Security Council. This is even more regrettable because the DISK could, in the first years after its founding in 1967 as a split of the state trade union T|rk-Is, be called a real revolutionary trade union, leading the revolutionary mass struggle of those years for a socialist Turkey, against (American) imperialism. The DISK had millions of member in those days. But gradually the confederation took a more moderate course and more and more it came under the control of the state. When the last revolutionary board member, Kemal T|rkler, was murdered at the end of the 70's, the avant-garde role it had played was actually finished. The basis was more revolutionary than the leadership since then. Kemal T|rkler was the last representative of the revolutionary workers' movement in the time prior to the military coup of 1980, representing the large revolutionary workers' movement of that time which saw syndicalism as a weapon for the revolution in stead of an organ of consultation with the employers. The murder of Kemal T|rkler wasn't able to end the revolutionary atmosphere in the country and this led to the third coup in 30 years. After the coup, the DISK was banned, its possessions were confiscated, officials and members were thrown in jail. The present chairman, Ridvan Budak, was the chairman of the textile union in those days and he too went to jail. The military pursued a policy in which good behaviour in jail was rewarded with release. Ridvan Budak quickly grasped the message and he founded a choir which sang Moslem songs. The military saw he posed no threat to the fascist order and he was released in 1984. After his release he joint the social democratic SODEP and he soon became a board member. In the beginning of the 90's, the DISK was re-founded again and its possessions were returned, albeit under the condition that it's political line was to be controlled by the National Security Council. To Ridvan Budak, this condition was no problem at all and he rose to become chairman of this parody of a trade union confederation. And in the meanwhile he became extremely rich. How much the DISK is on the line of the National Security Council became obvious half a year ago when representatives of the DISK went to the European parliament to plead for a quick EU-membership of Turkey and less criticism against the human rights violations in Turkey. The DISK also played a major role in the "soft coup" against the Refah Party and the transformation of the broad protest in society against the collaboration of the army, the government and the Mafia which became obvious after the so-called Susurluk affair, into a protest against the Moslem government, orchestrated by the army and the National Security Council. The 10th. congress. Illustrative for its present character, the 10th. congress of the DISK was held in a 5-star hotel and there was a massive police presence to protect the congress against left-wing demonstrations. In the weeks prior to the congress, especially the militants of the Revolutionary Workers' Movement (DIH) protested against the present state of affairs within the DISK, staging actions against the harmonious ties with the National Security Council and the statutory rules of the congress. The DIH is an organisation of revolutionary workers within the DISK, organised semi-illegal by necessity. The DIH has to right to put forward candidates for the board and it has a voting right on congresses et cetera. The DISK leadership considers the DIH to be a burden and does everything in its power to get rid of it. The 10th. congress was a special one because the contradictions between the board and the real representatives of the workers in Turkey became apparent quite clearly. Duzgun Tekin's mother spoke about her disappeared son, a DISK member, and the lack of interest and effort of the DISK regarding the disappearances. She was totally neglected by the board. When the DIH candidate, Erol Ekici, having the statutory right to address the congress, took the microphone to speak about the real problems of the workers movement in Turkey, the contra-guerrilla and its practice of disappearances, torture, blood baths and daily repression, the board tried to disconnect the microphone. When this failed, thanks to the resistance of the DIH militants, the board just left the conference room. The statutes of the DISK regarding the possibility to send representatives to the congress came under heavy fire. As bizarre as it may sound for a trade union confederation, the present statutes rule that the amount of contribution money determines the number of representatives that can be sent to the congress by an affiliate union. The more money, the more votes. The speech by Ridvan Budak was interrupted by workers who were unable to sent delegates because of lack of money. The most important measure on the agenda was the liquidation of nine regional chapters of the Genel-Is (General Union). These chapters were a thorn in the flesh of the National Security Council and the board of the DISK because of their militant position in the class struggle. The Genel-Is congress had rejected the liquidation of their chapters. But a few days after the congress, the board announced that the chapters had been disbanded by them singlehandedly. The resistance against this decision is still going on and it remains unclear how this relates to the general statutes of the DISK itself. The last word about this has not been said yet. Interesting in the liquidation of these nine union chapters is the collaboration of the board members from the VDP and the HADEP. It's only logical that the powers that be want the nine most militant chapters if the Genel-Is closed., it's in their character, but where lies the interest of the HADEP and the VDP to collaborate in this decision? The general board of the Genel-Is is in the hands of an alliance of the VDP, the HADEP, the DIH (each with one representative) and three CHP members (social democrats). When the liquidation of the chapters was voted on, three votes went against, three supported liquidation, and one vote abstained. The VDP supported liquidation, and the HADEP representative abstained, thus effectively helping the DISK board because the chairman's vote was decisive and he, Atilla Vngel, voted for the liquidation of the nine most militant chapters of the Genel-Is... Another consequence of the congress was the expulsion of several active members because of their militant stance. Most striking is the expulsion of Mehmet Karaguz, chairman of the liquidated 2nd. chapter of Genel-Is. Initially there were five reasons given for his expulsion: 1. He had signed an newspaper announcement to commemorate the murder of DISK leader Kemal T|rkler by fascists. 2. He allegedly had misuse union property (a telephone) for the campaign against the disappearance of DISK member Duzgun Tekin. 3. He refused to co-operate in the sale of the building of the chapter. (He refused to hang out a "For Sale" sign) 4. He protested the sacking of an union activist in a newspaper advertisement. 5. He refused to co-operate in distributing a joint statement by the employers' association TISK and the DISK against the Refah government. When these facts were revealed, protests came in from all over Turkey and the board came up with a statement that these had not been the reasons for the expulsion. However, they failed to disclose what their reasons were till now... Summarising, it can be said that the board succeeded in pushing through the measures and appointments it desired but never before have they been in such problems with the grass root membership. The board will have to explain to the members why they went against the congress will not to liquidate the Genel-Is chapters. The number of members will fall even further because of the undemocratic behaviour of the board and its collaboration with the National Security Council regarding the Susurluk case. The VDP has been unmasked as a party which fits in the long tradition in Turkey of parties which claim to be left and independent, but who in fact do as they are told by the National Security Council. The HADEP will have to explain why it didn't vote against the wish of the National Security Council. Does it want to show that it is in for a dialogue? Press Agency Ozgurluk The Struggle for justice, democracy and human rights in Turkey and Kurdistan http://www.ozgurluk.org mailto:ozgurluk@xs4all.nl mailinglists:petidomo@ozgurluk.xs4all.nl List info: english-request@ozgurluk.xs4all.nl ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org e-mail: nyt@blythe.org ================================================================= nytlab-10.17.97-03:29:48-18858