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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 000174 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT ALSO FOR EUR/SE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ELAB AMGT ECON MOPS PGOV TU
SUBJECT: GENERAL STRIKE LOOMS FEBRUARY 4 AS UNIONS RALLY 
BEHIND PRIVATIZED TOBACCO WORKERS 
 
REF: 09 ANKARA 1829 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY. A deadlock in negotiations between the GOT 
and the Turk-Is Labor Confederation, affiliated with former 
TEKEL workers (REFTEL), has produced a call for a one-day 
work stoppage on February 4.  Turk-Is, supported by five 
other labor confederations, is confident that the strike will 
have a broad impact and is determined to continue its 
struggle to get better conditions for the former TEKEL 
workers.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (U) Several Turkish labor confederations have decided to 
stop work for one day on Thursday, February 4 from 8 a.m. to 
5 p.m. to protest a deadlock in the talks between the 
government and Turk-Is Labor Confederation regarding the fate 
of former state monopoly (TEKEL) workers.  The workers have 
been protesting resolutely for 49 days, and the Prime 
Minister instructed his ministers to resolve the issue after 
meeting in person with the Confederation on January 28. 
 
¶3. (U) On February 1 Turk-Is Labor Confederation President 
Mustafa Kumlu -- who had met with PM Erdogan -- sat down with 
State Minister Hayati Yazici, Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek 
and Minister of Labor and Social Security Omer Dincer twice 
at the Prime Ministry to talk about the former TEKEL workers. 
 Kumlu listed the demands of the former TEKEL workers.  The 
ministers took those demands to a cabinet meeting.  Then 
Kumlu and the ministers met again, after which Kumlu told the 
press that the government's proposals would not meet the 
workers' demands. 
 
¶4. (U) According to press reports, the government proposed to 
increase the salaries of the former TEKEL workers to between 
770 and 940 lira per month within the context of 4C status 
(REFTEL); to provide them 22 days of leave without pay; to 
provide them something resembling a severance payment; and to 
provide employment to workers in public institutions in their 
sector including in facilities in neighboring provinces under 
4C status.  However, the Turk-Is Confederation reportedly 
insists that the former TEKEL workers to be transferred to 
other institutions working within the context of Labor Law 
Number 4857 (which would include job security and other 
benefits); and for the workers not to be converted to the 
category of "4C" workers. 
 
¶5. (U) After negotiations broke down, Ministers Yazici, 
Simsek and Dincer held a joint press conference.  Yazici said 
that they had studied the issue from the legal and financial 
aspects and concluded that the most fair and correct way to 
employ the former TEKEL workers is under 4C.  He said: "we 
increased their salaries 25-30 percent, and increased their 
annual leave to 22 days.  We suggested they to be employed at 
the public institutions where they are currently assigned to 
and at neighboring provinces.  They did not accept."  Yazici 
warned the former TEKEL workers and their families that they 
have one month to apply to receive 4C status.  Prime Minister 
Erdogan, at his party's parliamentary group meeting today, 
reiterated Yazici's message and added that the actions of the 
former TEKEL workers had gone beyond their initial purpose 
and now appeared to an anti-government campaign. 
 
¶6. (U) After the ministers' announcement, Turk-Is President 
Kumlu convened the Presidents of six labor and public 
employees confederations including Hak-Is, DISK, Memur-Sen, 
KAMU-Sen and KESK to discuss their response.  On February 2, 
they announced a joint decision for the general strike 
February 4.  In addition to the work stoppage, the former 
TEKEL workers protesting in Ankara will begin a hunger strike. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Turk-Is Press Spokesperson Sevkutan Nevsuhan told us 
that all organized labor, including private sector and public 
sector workers will be called to participate in the work 
stoppage.  She noted that it is not yet known what the rate 
 
ANKARA 00000174  002 OF 002 
 
 
of participation will be, and that the groups will meet on 
February 5 to assess the strike and to decide their next 
steps.  A KESK legal expert also said that they have been 
preparing for a work stoppage for the past two weeks, and 
their members will participate in every sector where they are 
represented.  He noted that the anti-democratic practices of 
the AKP Government, combined with the pressures and the 
suffering of TEKEL workers, have led to a public reaction 
against the government.  He contended the Government is 
hostile to the labor sector because it fears that if it gives 
in to the former TEKEL workers, it would set a bad precedent 
for future privatizations of public sector institutions.  We 
also learned from Hak-Is International Relations Officer 
Osman Yildiz that Hak-Is has opted to participate in the work 
stoppage, but will decide later on the extent of 
participation.  (Note: Among the confederations, Hak-Is is in 
the most difficult position since it is viewed as more 
sympathetic to the government. End Note) 
 
¶8. (SBU) COMMENT.  This strike will add to increasing 
friction between the government and the organized labor. 
While the GOT does not want to concede to the former TEKEL 
workers for principally economic reasons, organized labor is 
using the recent spate of failed labor negotiations to its 
advantage, turning up the volume on its requests for rights 
for public sector workers and the workers of privatized 
companies.  In the prelude to general elections in 2011, the 
ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) will not welcome 
the image that it lacks sufficient sympathy for workers, many 
of whom were probably AKP voters.  Both sides will continue 
testing the limits of their power.  In the end, it is likely 
the GOT will agree to reform the labor laws to meet some 
demands, while the unions and confederations will agree to 
some less-than-ideal tradeoffs so that their members can stay 
employed. 
Jeffrey 
 
           "Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.intelink.s 
gov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turkey"