111 Turkish union leaders and memebers have been indicted on criminal charges in connection with an April 1 demonstration in Ankara in support of 12,000 tobacco workers whose jobs and acquired rights were eliminated overnight. The charges carry prison terms of up to 5 years. Send a message to the Prime Minister and the the Labour and Social Security Minister of Turkey demanding that all charges be immediately and unconditionally withdrawn.
To His Excellency Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister of Turkey
To His Excellency Ömer Dincer, Labour and Social Security Minister of Turkey
Dear Sirs,
We the undersigned are shocked to learn that your government has filed criminal indictments against 111 trade union presidents and union members for taking part in a public demonstration in support of the former TEKEL workers in Ankara on April 1, 2010. We also remind you that the demonstrators at that time were assaulted by the police for attempting to exercise their democratic rights. The use of the courts to criminalize trade union action in this manner is a clear violation of international norms an standards, including Convention 87 of the ILO which clearly guarantees workers the right to freely conduct such actions.
I therefore call on your government to to immediately and unconditionally drop all charges against all the trade union officers and assure them the right conduct their activities free of violence and harassment. It is the duty of the state to protect worker rights, not to criminalize trade union activity. I am closely following your government's action in this regard.
Yours sincerely,
