Tayfun Görgün, secretary-general of the Confederation of the Revolutionary Trade Unions (DİSK) says if the crisis is not fought against together, then the rights of the workers can not be defended.

This weekend, the DİSK held the “We will not pick up the cost for the crisis” meeting at Ankara together with the Confederation of Public Employees Trade Unions (KESK). Stating that he will support everyone who resists the layoffs done supposedly to fight against the economic crisis, Görgün says that the layoffs by business' that are profiting should be banned and the ones that are declaring losses should open their balance sheets to the workers and, if necessary, these businesses can be transferred to the workers.

“We should organize and resist layoffs”

While Görgün says “Those laid off should not leave their work places”, he also adds the following:

“They are laying on us the cost of the economic crisis through price increases, taxes, layoffs and controlling the rights and the wages. We already support our own members who resist the layoffs, but the rest of the workers should organize, too. There is no other way; the employers are organized and resolved. We are not the cause of this crisis. Those who caused the crisis should pay its cost.”

The immediate demands

Görgün summarized their most immediate demands as follows:

Take the price increases back: Starting with the natural gas prices, the latest price increases should be taken back. These price increases are an attempt to reduce the budgetary deficit, while the petroleum prices are falling. They will transfer the funds that will come from these increases to the employers.

Reduce taxes: There are high taxes like the cellular telephone, the electricity, the communication tax, the Value Added Tax. We demand that these are reduced.

Minimum wage: Minimum wage should be tax-free.

“The 2009 will be a year of struggle”

Görgün says that these demands need a mass struggle that consists of individuals, labor organizations and the political parties and organizations on the side of the labor. He says depending on the attitude of the government, they may organize new activities after the long religious holiday that is coming up.

“Had the government taken measures against the crisis, they would have informed everyone of this with great pleasure. Nobody should take this crisis lightly. If we, the small shop owner, the farmer, the retired, the unemployed, do not work together, this process will translate into losses of rights. The 2009 will be a year of struggle. We may reduce the damage with reasonable and strong struggle.”

Görgün also added that there might not have been any physical clash at the meeting, if the police did not pick on a certain group by insisting that the sticks holding their banners were too thick. (TK/TB)