Türk-İş, federations to strike Thursday in solidarity with Tekel workers

Turkey's largest labor unions will hold a one-day strike Thursday to show their solidarity with the country's Tekel workers, broadcaster CNNTürk reported Tuesday, the same day the prime minister called on the workers to end their protests.

The Tekel workers, who have been protesting the privatization of the country's former state-owned alcohol and tobacco monopoly for nearly 50 days, also resumed their hunger strike.

The union confederation leaders' decision to strike comes a day after the Turkish government and the Tekel workers failed to reach a deal after a second six-hour-long meeting.

Later on Tuesday, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said the Tekel workers’ illegal strike exceeded its initial goals and now aimed to target the government.

Erdoğan, speaking at the Justice and Development Party, or AKP's, group meeting in Ankara, called out for the Tekel workers to return home and put an end to their protests.

“With the use of the media, the situation is being exploited, and this has gone beyond the innocent pursuit of rights,” he said.

In the speech to his party Erdoğan said the workers should conclude their protests by the end of the month otherwise the government would use all "legal means" to end them.

Türk-Iş President Mustafa Kumlu said on Monday that the government offered to improve the workers' current contracts but that it was not enough.

The workers' complaints are rooted in their classification in their current contracts as "government employees," a label defined in Article 4/C of Turkish Law No. 657. They want to be considered "workers," a title that comes with rights and benefits they held before the privatization.

Erdoğan on Tuesday urged the workers to sign up for 4/C benefits.

"When you were unemployed during the CHP and MHP era, we gave you employment through Article 4/C,” Erdoğan said.

The government on Monday offered to improve 4/C by extending the rights to vacation and introducing a pay scale based on seniority.

"If you want to continue working in the public sector, you should sign Article 4/C today," Erdoğan said.

As part of the privatization, the former Tekel workers will be employed in temporary positions at other public institutions under Article 4/C, which they say will cause a significant reduction in wages, by almost half, and the loss of some of their rights. Under Article 4/C, employees are allowed to work a maximum of 10 months.