January 18, 2006 A campaign against the governments General Health Insurance (GHI) plan has been launched. This campaign is being organized by Istanbul Physicians’ Association, Istanbul Pharmacists’ Association, Dentists Association, Istanbul Veterinarian Association, KESK (Confederation of Public Workers’ Unions) Platform of Istanbul Branches, Turk-Iş (the largest confederation of labor unions) Istanbul branches, DISK (Confederation of […]
January 18, 2006
A campaign against the governments General Health Insurance (GHI) plan has been launched. This campaign is being organized by Istanbul Physicians’ Association, Istanbul Pharmacists’ Association, Dentists Association, Istanbul Veterinarian Association, KESK (Confederation of Public Workers’ Unions) Platform of Istanbul Branches, Turk-Iş (the largest confederation of labor unions) Istanbul branches, DISK (Confederation of Progressive Labor Unions) Istanbul branches and Dev Sağlık-İş (Progressive union of Health Care Workers)
The workers holding a press release called for support to the new campaign being launched in Istanbul against the new health bill scheduled to be discussed in the parliament in February. Speaking for the health workers, Ali Çerkezoğlu, the General Secretary of the Istanbul Physicians’ Association, said they would struggle “for the right of health care and a secure future for everybody.” He also added that they would not allow the new health bill to pass in the parliament.
Çerkezoğlu reminded that the Letter of Intent given to the IMF by the government had been approved by the executive directors of the IMF and said that according to that letter, the new bills had to pass by mid February. He said, “With this struggle, we will be the voice of not only the organized sections of the society, but also of all the disadvantaged of health care and social security. We know and we believe that if we do not allow it, they can never pass this bill.”
After the press release, the workers marched to Taksim Square and passed leaflets. They also called everybody for a joined struggle. The workers chanted, “A budget for the laborers, not for the IMF”, “Free Education, Free Health Care.”
Source: Atilim
M.B.