In Noord-Cyprus is er vandaag een algemene 2-urenstaking. Vorige week gebeurde dit ook al. Het initiatief gaat uit van 12 vakbonden die protesteren tegen het besparingsbeleid. Zie ons eerder bericht hierover.
Vandaag zijn er in verschillende Europese steden solidariteitsacties om de staking in Noord-Cyprus te ondersteunen. In ons land was dit met de drukke protestagenda niet mogelijk. Maar we willen toch onze solidariteit betuigen door mails te sturen naar de Cypriotische vakbonden met een kopie aan onze zusterorganisatie. We vragen zeker aan syndicalisten om dit te doen, maar uiteraard moedigen we iedereen aan om een solidariteitsbericht te sturen.
Hieronder een voorbeeld van solidariteitsmail in het Engels.
Please send solidarity letters to striking unions: ktos@ktos.org; info@ktoeos.org; info@gucsen.com; info@gucsen.org; cag_sen@yahoo.com; daubirsen1@gmail.com; info@ktams.org; ktams@kibris.net;sscorpion63@hotmail.com; kamusen@kibrisonline.com; turksen@kibris.net; dev-is@defne.net
Send protest letters to the government in North Cyprus (TRNC – Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus). To the Prime Minister: Özkan Yorganc?o?lu, basbakanyardimciligi@gov.ct.tr, fax: (0392) 227 52 81.
Send copies of both to: nedacyprus@gmail.com
Solidarity with workers on strike in North Cyprus
We were informed that 12 trade unions in North Cyprus are organizing 2-hour strikes and demonstrations in the three main cities in North Cyprus – Famagusta, Kyrenia and Nicosia.
The austerity measures included in the cuts package – financial protocol signed between TRNC and the the Turkish Government, that is imposed since 2010, from the TRNC governments are pushing the Turkish Cypriot working people to poverty and immigration as the austerity measures that are implemented from the governments in all over Europe.
The latest package, which started to be implemented in 2011, saw public sector workers lose 30% of their purchasing power, and the new hires in the public sector are forced to work with salaries that are under the poverty line. The Automatic Indexing has been frozen, and the public sector workers’ minimum wage has declined by 14.72%. The retirement age has risen from 50 to 60 years in both public and private sectors. Collective agreements are almost cancelled in the private sector. The Turkish Cypriot Airlines (KTHY) became bankrupt and privatized. Privatisation of telecommunications and electricity services are next in line.
Due to the 2009 strike wave against the then discussed cuts package, the CTP (traditional social democratic government) was forced to resign and go for early elections. The National Unity Party (UBP – traditional right wing party) came to power with the promise that they will not implement the package, but they did. In 2011, even though there was a huge strike wave and demonstrations involving more than 80,000 people – even the Turkish PM Erdogan commented on the demonstrators’ banners – the CTP, then in opposition, sabotaged the momentum and the struggle ended without any results for workers. In 2013, the CTP went into government with the DP, again promising to freeze the cuts package. However they continued to carry out cuts.
We give our full support to this struggle and hope for a victory for your trade unions.
The battles that the workers in North Cyprus are waging are battles that are being fought across Europe and the globe in the face of a neo-liberal onslaught as the governments attempt to increase the wealth of the 1% by attacking the 99%.
We are standing together, all European working people to defend our rights and the communities we live and work in.
Yours in solidarity,
