DISK Withdraws From Social Dialogue

Turkey's Revolutionary Workers Unions Confederation (DISK) withdraws from this year's International Labour Organisation (ILO) talks in reaction to "government's failure to take any forward steps on union and social rights". DISK also suspends its membership to the Economic and Social Council as well as participation in the European Union-Turkey mixed advisory committee.

A statement issued by DISK said the confederation had taken the decision to withdraw from the named "mechanisms of social dialogue" saying that they did not reject dialogue but "wanted a real dialogue that would produce results".

"Until such mechanisms of dialogue truly reach the strength and the effectiveness to reach concrete developments on issues where the sides have jointly decided upon and are stated in international documents, until the decisions are enforced by the government, and until these structures become effective and solution producing, we are suspending out membership to these".

In its executive board meeting held on Monday, May 29, DISK decided:

* Not to participate in ILO meetings this year

* To withdraw from the Economic and Social Council

* To withdraw from the EU-Turkey Joint Advisory Committee

Reasons of Suspension

The reasons cited by DISK for its decision to suspend participation in dialogue mechanism were listed as:

Obstacles related to union rights and freedoms: Working life is still under laws passed after the 12 September [1980 takeover] and while DISK has wanted it to be elevated to international standards, while it has been raised at ILO meetings and the EU progress reports, the government has ignored the warnings.

Economic and Social Council (ESK): The draft bill that was prepared by labour and employer organisations alongside other NGOs aimed to bring the ESK to a more democratic level and was submitted to the government a year ago but the government has behaved as if this does not exist.

Union bans: DISK believed that the new Unions Law prepared by the government and the Collective agreement, strike and lockout laws do not intend to create freedoms for union activities and concludes that the restrictions imposed with September 12 are retained in full but for some cosmetic changes.

Closure of Gida-Is: DISK refers to the closure by an Istanbul court of the Food Industry Workers Union of Turkey (GIDA-IS) which is part of the confederation saying that a discriminating precondition of union founders having to work 10 years in that position was used as an excuse for the closure and that this article was retained in the union law even though it was removed from the Constitution.

European Social Condition: Recalling the European Social Condition which is once again on the agenda of the Parliament, DISK believes that the government is attempting to impose reservations on freedom of organisation and collective bargaining rights.

Union members being sacked: DISK stated that thousands of workers in various businesses had been fired from their jobs for joining unions and that due to legal fallbacks the principle right of workers, the right to unions, was not applicable in the country.

ILO not target

According to the DISK statement, the confederation has not taken its decision not to attend the ILO conference or meetings against ILO itself but against the government's practices or lack of it in view of ILO decisions.

"We will continue to submit our views and requests with all authorised ILO organs under bilateral relations" the statement said, adding "we will have a continuous dialogue with ILO". The statement invited the government to act in accordance with ILO and EU decisions. (TK/II/YE)