7 political parties and organizations make a call for May Day

* Photo: bianet / Archive

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Seven political organizations released a joint statement and made a call for May 1 International Workers' Day today (April 5).

The Labor Party (EMEP), Laborist Movement Party (EHP), People's Houses, Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), Socialist Assemblies Federation (SMF), Workers' Party of Turkey (TİP) and Social Freedom Party (TÖP) said, "To the May Day for daily bread, peace and freedom".

The parties and organizations announced that they will be in the squares on May 1 "against price increases, poverty, war and exploitation".

'AKP politically responsible for poverty'

Ahead of May Day, the statement of the political groups raised concerns that "the entire burden of the bosses, pandemic and economic crisis has been put on the shoulders of poor people".

Referring to the effects of the current economic crisis, the groups said:

Bringing agriculture to a halt with neoliberal policies, turning the country into a heaven of cheap labor for international monopolies and giving way for policies of plunder, the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government is the real political responsible party for poverty.

Raising concerns over the melting minimum wage in the face of constantly increasing prices, the groups said, "The government has condemned the country to hyperinflation. The more extravagant the palace gets, the smaller the serving size at the people's table becomes".

Noting that "the increases in the prices of basic food products have become reckless and routine", the political parties and organizations underlined that people are faced with exorbitant electricity, natural gas, Internet, transportation and communication bills.

"Babies and children cannot access food products," they protested, adding that "when people get sick, they cannot access medication or free and quality health services". Defining the government's reduction of the Value Added Tax on certain food and cleaning products as an "eyewash" and recalling the loss of value of the Turkish Lira against foreign currencies, they reiterated that "the machine of price hikes operates without a halt".

'Hunger has been made ordinary'

Further in their statement, the political parties and groups also criticized the "gang of five", which they use to refer to the pro-government conglomerates that receive large amounts of public tenders.

Noting that "the minimum wage has been turned into a basic income and hunger has been made ordinary", they said, "Young people have lost hopes for the future; unemployment has increased incrementally. Producers and villagers sow seeds without fertilizer, tractors are confiscated".

Amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the political groups raised concerns that "women, whose domestic labor has gradually increased, have been the first ones to leave their jobs", adding:

"Shouldering the care of the elderly and children, women are gradually crushed in both the site of reproduction and production".

'Strikes in 120 factories and workplaces'

Against the backdrop of all these, the seven parties and organizations stressed that "in the face of this destruction, society is naturally rising up and 2022 has begun with a wave of labor class strikes".

According to the statement, strikes have been staged in 120 factories and workplaces in Turkey since December 2021.

"In the wave of protests following the revolt of the delivery workers, whose importance was discussed at the onset of the pandemic, textile workers, metal workers and shipbreaking workers followed suit with their resistance," the groups stated, recalling that "the victory of Migros warehouse workers has given hope to everyone across Turkey".

While health laborers went on strike as well, municipal and metal workers filled the squares. A wave of protests has been the case for the peoples of Turkey in the face of the wave of price hikes. Thousands of people from Marmaris to Yüksekova, from Bodrum to Bazid took to the streets and rose up by crying out loud, 'We cannot make a living'.

Accordingly, the political organizations called on everyone to fill the squares on May 1 Labor Day in the face of incrementally increasing poverty, unending wave of price hikes and unemployment. (AS/SD)