Workers’ Protest against Social Security Draft on 1 April

Trade unions and professional chambers have decided to voice their protests at the draft law on Social Security and General Health Insurance with a protest in front of parliament on 1 April.

Protests on 1 and 6 April

The Confederation of Revolutionary Workers’ Trade Unions (DISK), the Confederation of Trade Unions of Workers in Public Employment (KESK), The Turkish Union of Physicians (TTB), the Turkish Union of Dentists (TDB) and the Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (UCTEA (TMMOB) have called for workers all around Turkey to leave their place of work and join the protest at 2 pm on that day.

In a press statement released on Friday, 28 March, KESK president Ismail Hakki Tombul also announced a demonstration in Kadiköy, Istanbul, on 6 April. The demonstration is organised by the Platform for Health and a Safe Future for Everyone. He said that everyone who felt they would be negatively affected by this law should attend the protest.

“We are only calling for a protest, we are ready to share it with everyone. If we object, they cannot pass this law. They can’t apply it.”

Determination to fight against law

Parliament started debating the law on Thursday, 27 March. According to Tombul, even if the current draft is passed by parliament, they would voice their objections during the ratification by the President and via an application to the Constitutional Court. He expressed the trade unions’ determination to fight until everyone’s health provisions were guaranteed.

Tombul stated that after meetings between the government and the Labour Platform some demands had been listened to. However, the law has remained the same in essence, and Tombul accused the government of trying to pass it quickly before further meetings with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Objections to draft

According to the statement, the trade unions and professional chambers object to the following issues:

• The age of retirement is raised to 65.
• The pension rights of currently working people are safeguarded. However, the pension payments of the next generation will be decreased.
• The budget reserved for the welfare state reflects only 30 percent of Turkey’s economic growth.
• Workers will be deprived of “wear and tear” payments.
• The health system is becoming privatised, and patients are expected to pay contributions.

Tombul accused the government of giving the impression that talks had resulted in a compromise solution. In his statement he acceded that the current social security and health system had its faults, but argued that the government was not solving the issue.

The real problem, so Tombul, was the fact that a large number of people were being employed illegally, thus depriving the state of insurance contributions. Tombul called on the unobstructed right of workers to organise, as well as for a health system that anyone could access, even if they did not have any money. (TK/GG/AG)