January 21 2006- Gıda-İş (Union of Food Workers) released a statement criticizing the increase made by the Chamber of Bakers in bread prices. The statement blamed the government’s agricultural policy, which had brought additional burdens on the wheat producers, bakery workers and the consumers. The import of subsidized wheat hit the wheat growers who had […]
January 21 2006-
Gıda-İş (Union of Food Workers) released a statement criticizing the increase made by the Chamber of Bakers in bread prices. The statement blamed the government’s agricultural policy, which had brought additional burdens on the wheat producers, bakery workers and the consumers.
The import of subsidized wheat hit the wheat growers who had to sell their produce below cost and while the speculators and wheat importers benefited, the small tradesmen, bakery owners and workers lost. High cost of flour and energy increases the production cost of wheat products and the bread producers want to reduce the cost of production by cutting down the wages of the workers.
The statement said TMO (the Agricultural Products Bureau) which failed to regulate the input costs and the government, which implemented the IMF policies, are responsible and asked the government to “abandon the IMF policies and protect the growers from the wheat merchants. Otherwise the rise in bread prices will be unavoidable. We ask Tek Gıda-İş, Öz Gıda-İş as organized food product unions and small bakeries, the Chamber of Bakers, and Union of Bakery Employers to unite against the IMF policies and make Turkey a livable place”.
E.K.