01-11-2006 Workers reacting to the decision to close down their plant staged a demonstration in front of the ruling Justice and Development Party. The workers are also protesting at their plant to close down the Publicly owned workplace. Workers chanted, “The Holidays are here, but we don’t care” and marched to JDP’s headquarters in Adana, […]
01-11-2006
Workers reacting to the decision to close down their plant staged a demonstration in front of the ruling Justice and Development Party. The workers are also protesting at their plant to close down the Publicly owned workplace.
Workers chanted, “The Holidays are here, but we don’t care” and marched to JDP’s headquarters in Adana, the fourth largest city in Turkey. But the protesters could not find anybody at the headquarters to talk to them.
The workers’ holiday celebrations started at the TEKEL plant, scheduled to be closed by the government. TEKEL is a state monopoly plant, which produces alcohol, cigarettes and other tobacco products. The workers and their families marched to the ruling religious party JDP’s headquarters chanting, “We will die, but will not go back”, “JDP, come to your senses, our patience is running out”, “JDP will suffer when elections come”, “Don’t be silent, if you are, it will be your turn!”, “Adana, take ownership of your factories.”
After approaching the headquarters, the workers also staged a half hour sit in.
Gürsel Diliçıkık, the head of South Eastern regional office of Tek Gıda-İş, The Food Workers Union, said the reason for closing the plant was to give the foreign monopolies the upper hand in Turkey. He said the workers had not left the plant in the last 9 days, protesting the decision. He said, “The workers of TEKEL will not abandon their factory. They will protest on the street, in their neighborhood, at their villages. They will distribute leaflets and will show up wherever the representatives from the ruling Justice and Development Party are.”
A worker who lost consciousness during the demonstration was hospitalized.
Support from Newspaper workers
Workers from several newspaper associations and unions who were celebrating the Newspaper Workers Day in the region paid a visit to the Food Workers Union and gave their support and sympathy to the striking workers. In their speech, they said, “Our pen, as reporters, is on the side of the TEKEL workers, who are the pride of Adana city.”
Source: Evrensel
MB.
