(en) The Winds Have Changed, They´re Blowing on the Side of
the Workers (tr)
The struggle of the metal workers has been ongoing and constantly growing with
resignations from the union and actions at workplaces for about a month. It was caused by
unrest created by the collective job contract between MESS1 and the Turk Metal Union2 and
has entered a new phase on the evening of May 14. Renault and Tofas workers have stopped
production and supportive actions and work stoppage continue to be debated in many
workplaces. ---- The anger that had accumulated especially in young workers first surfaced
during the January strike process of the United Metal Union3, and now at Renault and
Tofas. The metal workers showed that they are the candidate for becoming the vanguard
force of the workers movement that is on the horizon. What these two experiences further
openly demonstrate is the reality that union organizing trapped in legal limits cannot be
an effective means of working class struggle. The only guarantee and source of legitimacy
of the Renault and Tofas workers today are not the laws that are completely on the side of
the bosses, but the rightfulness of their demands and their will to move as a whole. As
long as this will and determination continues, it is inevitable that they will win.
After resigning from Turk Metal, instead of joining United Metal they formed "workers´
boards". By this and by stopping production in a de facto strike they have also shown
their intention not to postpone the issue till a new round of Collective Work Contract.
The metal workers have revealed the basic means of class struggle through this resistance:
Direct action and direct democracy.
The workers make simple and easily fulfillable demands: Turk Metal out, a guarantee that
no worker will be fired and improvement of wages. The bosses however know very well that a
mass of workers who have discovered the basic means of class struggle and who will have
gained self-confidence with a victory will be uncontrollable. They are therefore doing
their best not to surrender. Putting a class that has stood up for itself back in its
place is not an easy task. This time there are no unions, Semsi Denizerler´s, Mustafa
Turker´s, or Ridvan Budak´s to get the workers under control.4
Like all struggles engaged in by our class, this struggle also belongs to all of us and
its victory will be the victory of us all. What needs to be done after this point is to
show solidarity with the struggle of the metal workers, raise it and spread it everywhere
we are.
Victory will belong to the Resisting Workers
Long Live Class Solidarity
Direct Democracy against Bureaucracy, Direct Action for Victory
Red and Black Istanbul
1 Turkish Employers´ Association of Metal Industries
2 A yellow union under the control of the nationalist right. Federated in Turk-Is
(Confederation of Turkish Trade Unions)
3 Federated in DISK (Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey)
4 Various trade union leaders in Turkey´s history known for their compromise in key
moments of class struggle.
http://www.karakizilistanbul.org/bildiri.php?git=oku&id=17
