Turkish unions threaten general strike over severance pay cuts
Turkish unions are denouncing proposed severance pay cuts that would impact 3.5 million workers, threatening a mass strike if the government does not change course.
ISTANBUL — Members of Turkey’s largest union gathered in the nation’s 81 provinces Monday to denounce proposed changes to severance pay laws, threatening a general strike if the measures are introduced in parliament.
“If the laws regarding our severance pay are introduced in parliament, we will extend the march we began today into a general strike, a general resistance,” said Arzu Cerkezoglu, chair of Turkey’s Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions (DISK), in a statement Monday.
Though the draft bill has yet to be made public, the Turkish government has outlined measures in recent weeks for a Supplementary Pension System (TES) that would cut severance pay rights for workers under 25 years of age and over 50.
Addressing the issue in a speech Saturday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the changes were necessary to create “a radical solution for employees’ problems” at a time when the country is attempting to increase exports and global trade. The president added the state was compelled to act after union leaders failed to reach a compromise on severance pay packages.
