The invasion of
the 40% of our island by the Turkish Armed Forces in the summer of 1974 in the
way of realization of the partition plans of imperialism and the following
situation of uprooting thousands of Cypriots from their homes and forcing them
to be refugees, brought many problems together with it. The economic and social
crisis caused a big fall in the living standard of all our people. Among them,
the most affected ones are the workers. Unemployment, black marketing, looting,
theft, abuse and forgery have become daily features.
Denktas, the
collaborationist of imperialism and the reigning powers that support him, are
trying to put the burden of their partitionist policy, which prove wrong more
and more, on the shoulders of ever wider sections of our people. The government
of the National Unity Party, which received the support of the pro-capitalist
Turk-Sen (Cyprus Turkish Trade Union Confederation) by telling the lie that it
is for the interests of the workers and the peasants, sacked after the elections
over 2,000 workers, who constitute 10% of the working masses in our community
without any compensation and possibility for rehabilitation and planned to sack
yet another equal number. (Halkın Sesi, October 3, 1976)
At a time, when
the number of unemployment reached to 3,500, the attitude of the Denktas
government was met with a big reaction both by the workers and the other
working people. Four trade unions affiliated to Turk-Sen, arranged 3-hour-long
warning strikes in Nicosia, Famagusta, Morphou and Kyrenia on the ground that
the sackings were “irregular and random”. 4,000 workers participated in these
strikes.
The government
continued not to pay any attention to these warning strikes, which were
demanding the stopping of the sackings, finalizing the common bargains,
staff-grouping of the workers and a payment of cost of living after the retail
price index. On August 13, 1976 the workers of Turk-Sen arranged again another
warning strike, this time 24 hours of duration and a silent marching.
The progressive
Yol-Is (Trade Union of the Road Construction Workers), which made a one-day
strike on August 4, independently from Turk-Sen with its members over 500,
evaluated the warning strikes of Turk-Sen as “a show-off action”, threatening
the government in order to put Yol-Is out of the “Mixed Workers Committee”.
The proposal of
the MP’s from the oppositional Republican Turkish Party for a general
discussion in the parliament about the protest strikes, which were supported by
various trade unions and democratic professional organizations were rejected by
the government majority. When we regard that the Minister of Construction, who
employs most of the workers, was abroad during the strikes and that the
Ministry of Labour was abolished in the new government after the elections, we
can better understand the uninterested and negative attitude of the government.
It should be mentioned that many civil servants, who were employed before the
elections as a part of the propaganda campaign were put out of work.
On September 3,
1976 the Revolutionary Workers Trade Union, Road Construction Workers Trade
Union, Turkish Civil Servants Trade Union and All Technicians Trade Union
arranged a big meeting, in which over a thousand workers participated. They
protested the sackings and oppressions on the workers. One of the speakers
stated that the workers, who are members of the progressive trade unions, not
affiliated to the yellow Turk-Sen, were forced to resign and they were
threatened to be put out of work, unless they do not do so.
This kind of
oppressions reminds us the time of terror and threats during the days of
colonialism. As it is known, during these days, when the first partition plans
of British imperialism were defended staunchly by the Turkish Cypriot
leadership under the slogans like “Turks and Greeks cannot live together
anymore”, “Either Partition or Death”, after the May Day celebrations in 1958,
which were prepared together by the Turkish and Greek workers, the fascist and
chauvinist circles, which were at the disposal of imperialism, destroyed and
burned down the progressive Turkish Cultural and Sports Club. They went even so
far to kill some of the most talented Turkish Cypriot worker leaders.
The fascist TMT
issued a statement and forced over 3,000 workers, who were members of the PEO,
the trade union of the whole Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot working class.
The ones, who would do otherwise, were threatened to death. Thus the unity of
the Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot workers, who were organized in common
organizations on class basis until 1958 and the trade union movement was divided
by the colonialists and their local organs. Later they spread the seeds of
intercommunal disagreements with the help of various provocations.
The 16th
Congress of the PEO issued a call in November of last year to the Turkish
Cypriot workers, asking their common struggle for the common aims of the
working class of Cyprus.
In the last
three months of 1976, the Turkish Cypriot workers continued to strike in
various work places. Some of them, for example the strikes in the Cyprus
Turkish Petroleum Company, Organization of Agricultural Products and the
Meteorological Department were banned by the order of Denktas’s Council of Ministers.
It had also banned before the strikes of the petroleum workers and doctors on
the ground that “the social life and the welfare of the people could be
endangered.”
On November 28,
1976 thousands of refugees, which were uprooted from their homes and transported
to the North, participated in the meeting of the Association of Southern
Refugees and protested the Denktas government, which they accused as
responsible for the misery. The ex-commander of gendarmerie of the Republic of
Cyprus, Ahmet Niyazi, was one of the speakers and he criticized the irregular
activities of the government. He added that every month hundreds of Turkish
Cypriot youths are emigrating to Australia and London, because of unfair
treatment. According to a statement made at the end of January 1977 in the
parliament, the number of the applicants, who are willing to emigrate from the
occupied zone is over 3,000.
The civil
servants, who were forced by the partitionist Turkish Cypriot leadership to
leave their posts in 1963, made a warning strike for the first time on January
11, 1977. During the 4-hour-strike, in which about 4,000 civil servants
participated, they demanded the establishment of a new staff regulation, a
payment against the rising cost of living, which grew 78% during the period
from October 1974 to November 1976. They demanded that the appointments and promotions
should be made according to the existing rules. They protested also the new
taxation laws, which were forwarded to the parliament by the government. Among
the other demands of the civil servants were putting under control the rising
house-rents, adjustments of the allowances according to the present conditions.
After the
negotiations failed to reach to a settlement, the Trade Union of the Civil
Servants went on strike once again on February 8, this time 48-hour-long. The
strike, which was supported by the opposition parties, various trade unions and
professional organizations, paralyzed the life in the offices and work places
all over the occupied zone. On the other hand, the so-called Council of
Ministers banned once again the strike at the airport and the seaport, at the
health and communication services. The oppositional Social Liberation Party
issued a statement and demanded the resignation of the Denktas government. In
reply to their demands, the government asked the civil servants “to pay
attention to the prevailing situation.” The government officials, who
threatened the civil servants in the past by “rolling and crushing over them
like a cylinder”, if they strike, dare to say now to the growing popular
opposition, “We are in a struggle against the Greek Cypriots, do not strike!”
With the plans
in mind of declaring a separate state, they established 10 ministries, 40 MP’s.
They distribute thousands of money to the directors, members and advisers of
the so-called “Public Economical Establishments”, who are mostly imported from
Turkey. As a result of unjust staff and salary regulations, favouring the
relatives and friends and creating jobs for them, 60% of the whole expenditure
goes to the salaries of the over-populated civil servants in the governmental
offices. The analysis of the looting and abuse in the “Public Economical
Establishments”, which are formed with the Turkish Cypriot ad Turkish state
capitals and guide the economic life in the occupied zone can be subject of
another study.
The above
mentioned positive developments as a result of the organization of the Turkish
Cypriot workers in the progressive trade unions have disturbed the reigning
circles and caused trouble for the yellow trade unionists, who support the
partitionist policy of the leadership. It is expected that the economic and
political struggle, which is waged against the collaborationist Turkish Cypriot
bourgeoisie, who does not respect even their own self-made laws, will grow
higher and higher.
The Turkish
Cypriot people, who is struggle against the imperialist plans of imperialism
and NATO, aiming to destroy the Republic of Cyprus by declaring a separate
state and who does not approve the partitionist policy of the Denktas clique,
wants to live again together with their Greek Cypriot compatriots in a Cyprus,
which will be independent, sovereign, territorially integral, non-aligned and
without any military bases, away from the
intervention of foreign countries in its internal affairs. The realist
policy of the Progressive Party of the Cypriot Working People, which favours
peace, intercommunal friendship and cooperation is the greatest guarantee for
the realization of this desire. The TURKİSH Cypriot workers convey their most
cordial and friendly regards on this Mayday to their Greek Cypriot class
brothers.
Long live the
Mayday, the day of unity, struggle and solidarity of the international working
class!
Long live the
friendship and cooperation of the Turkish and Greek Cypriots!
Long live the
common struggle of the Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot people against the
partition plans of imperialism and NATO!
Long live
independent, sovereign, territorially integral and
demilitarized Cyprus!
(This article
was published in Haravgi newspaper on 1st May 1977 with the pen-name
“Hasan Mehmet”)
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