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31 January, 2011
The ICEM affiliated trade union in Northern Cyprus, EL-SEN, played a central role in organising one of the largest rallies in the history of Northern Cyprus last Friday, 28 January, as well as a general strike on the same day.
The popular demonstration of 30,000 people was organized by the “Platform of Trade Unions” to resist a raft of proposed employment laws that threaten the future for Cypriot workers. The regressive changes to labour law constitute another example of governments manipulating the global economic crisis to justify reducing workers’ rights in the long term.
EL-SEN President, Tuluy Kalyoncu, reported to the Secretariat that the so-called reform package will restrict the practical application of the right to organise and bargain collectively, privatise public institutions (even those turning a profit), legitimise the employment of unregistered foreign workers, cut the salaries of the workers and their pensions, and facilitate the continuation of a damaging black market. Regarding the black market, Northern Cyprus’ government accept that 50% of all economic activity goes unrecorded, creating a budget deficit to be paid for by workers.
EL-SEN turned out close to 100% of all members at the rally. Disappointingly, the Prime Minister of Northern Cyprus, İrsen Küçük, dismissed the significance of the popular demonstrations, playing down numbers of participants and arguing that municipalities controlled by opposition parties forced staff to turn out.
The admirable popular uprisings currently spreading throughout the Arab world should serve as a wake-up call to the Küçük administration that the legitimate grievances of workers must be heard and acted on.
ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda expressed full solidarity and support to the demonstrators. In a letter to Prime Minister İrsen Küçük, he said, “A central concern that must be addressed is the right of workers to choose a trade union, and to bargain collectively as a social partner. Too often in TRNC, this principle is not only ignored but real barriers are put before workers, preventing basic freedom of association. We call on your government to adopt decent social conduct by adopting stricter rules and laws, and steeper penalties on employers who abuse workers’ rights.”
Warda’s words of support were distributed widely during the demonstrations, calling on Küçük to adopt global labour standards, and practice those standards with legitimate trade unions, as opposed to encouraging an influx of labour brokers, and a general reducing of regulations, rules and codes essential in a democracy.