>10 June 2000, Copyright � Turkish Daily News > >Huseyin Kandemir > >Izmir - Turkish Daily News > >More than 1,000 workers who are members of the Confederation of >Revolutionary Workers' Union (DISK) protested the government's >economic policies yesterday in a demonstration in Izmir's Konak >Square. At a meeting on the same day attended by several political >parties and civil organizations including the Freedom and Solidarity >Party (ODP), the Republican People's Party (CHP), People's >Democracy Party (HADEP), Workers' Party (IP) and the Izmir >Chamber of Commerce (ITO), the workers explained their action to the >press. > >The workers protested loudly against the government, calling for the >return of extra payments that have been withheld from their salaries >and held interest-free in state banks indefinitely. They complained that >the government has been collecting part of their salaries for years and >is refusing to pay them back. The workers claim a total of TL 6 >quadrillion has been taken over the years. > >Izmir Labor Confederation Chairman Musa Cam said in a speech that >although the government can easily finance some illegal payments and >bank operations, it is refusing to pay back the workers' compulsory >savings payments which were withheld without permission and stored >in the state banks without interest. He stated: "The total amount of >money withheld would equal about $25 million if it had been put in >any normal bank. On the other hand, now, they [the government] are >even refusing to pay it back to us," he said and added that they will >increase their demonstrations against the government in order to force >its hand. > >Meanwhile, it was declared that members of the education unions in >Izmir will hold a demonstration march from Izmir to Ankara to take >their protest to the Ministry of Education in the capital. The workers' >protests and their demonstrations against the government are expected >to intensify daily. > > >-- >Press Agency Ozgurluk >In Support of the Peoples Liberation Struggle in Turkey and Kurdistan >http://www.ozgurluk.org > > __________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi ___________________________________ [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe/unsubscribe messages mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ___________________________________
