26 September, 2011
The 26th Congress of ICEM Turkish affiliate Oil, Chemical, and Rubber Workers’ Union (Petrol-İş), was held 17-18 September in Istanbul and provided an open platform on discussing labour’s current shape in Turkey with expectations for the future. Attended by a large number of guests from political parties, trade unions, professional groupings, employers, and civic society organizations, the Congress also welcomed ICEM representatives Manfred Warda and Kemal Özkan, as well as EMCEF General Secretary Michael Wolters.
Members of the Presidium of South Eastern European Energy Unions’ Network (RETUNSEE) were also present.
Participants on 17 September viewed two documentaries prepared by Petrol-İş, namely “Trade union is Your Future” and “What Did They Say for Petrol-İş at its 60th anniversary?” In his opening address, President Mustafa Öztaşkın said that the economic crisis first occurring in developed countries and then impacting the whole world caused political, economic, social, and cultural crunches.
“The crisis brought inequality and injustice to humankind,” said Öztaşkın. “We witnessed continuous rising unemployment and poverty, causing human death through starvation, and we saw a polluting environment caused by for profit.”
He also cautioned that human health is being threatened by genetically modified products.
ICEM General Secretary Warda, in his address, praised the determination of Petrol-İş in defending the rights and interests of its members. He cited struggles undertaken by the union at multinational companies such as Novamed, Bericap, and Polyplex.
“It is shameful that multinational companies, particularly Western European MNCs, do not recognize internationally accepted trade union rights in Turkey, while they do it in their home countries,” said Warda.
The delegates discussed and approved a series of political resolutions under different chapters which included World, Turkey, Society, Economy, Industrial Relations, the Trade Union Movement, as well as Action Principles and Programme. A special resolution was unanimously voted on that gives full support to the coming creation of a new Global Union Federation for industry.
“Petrol-İş believes international solidarity of the working class has great importance over attacks by capitalism against the union movement,” states the resolution, adding “unification under the roof of single Global Union Federation in manufacturing with three existing organizations, including the ICEM, will create a promising initiative, and the Congress pledges fully supports it.”
The Congress also amended the union’s statutes by bringing new mechanisms into the current structure, particularly for special groups of workers. One union objective has been “to struggle against child labour and to strive protecting and promoting the rights of young workers.” Another now enshrined in Petrol-İş statutory objectives is gender equality, with the union pledging “to take all necessary measures in practices at home, in workplaces, and within the trade union to build equality and struggle against all forms of gender violence.”
Mustafa Öztaşkın was unanimously re-elected President of Petrol-İş, while Ali Ufuk Yaşar won election as General Secretary, İbrahim Doğangül as Finance Secretary, Nimetullah Sözen as Organizing and Education Secretary, and Ahmet Kabaca as Administrative Secretary. The five trade unionists were named as members of the union’s Executive Committee.