Towards May Day, workers discuss ‘what kind of May Day’

Last Sunday, there were three important meetings at three worker centres.

Of these meetings;

The first one, in İstanbul, was the one that representatives from various workplaces, gathered together by the call from İstanbul Trade Union Locals Platform (İTULP), discussed the conclusions they drew from the widespread actions of recent weeks and how they should celebrate May Day under the current conditions,

The second meeting, in Gebze, was the one, organized by the initiation of Labour Party, participated by the workers from various business lines that have been in the forefront of the struggle, where the workers assessed the actions in recent weeks, exchanged information over the experiences they had, and talked about May Day,

And the third meeting was the one, whose press announcement, called by İzmir Labour and Democracy Platform, practically turned into a demonstration in Gundoğdu Square, that the advanced workers, public servants together with the contending trade-unionists shouted out their demands as May Day approaches.

Since the subject is May Day celebration preparations, to the above, the meetings of Board of Representatives of DISK, held under the campaign “Life is Expensive Labour is Cheap – It won’t go on Like this” on March 28 in Eskisehir and April 01 in Bursa, should also be added. Because, in these meetings too, the worker actions in recent weeks were assessed, and it was discussed how  May Day would be celebrated and which demands would be brought up. It is said that DISK will hold similar meetings in other industrial cities as well.

INCREASING THE NUMBER OF MEETINGS WHERE WORKERS DISCUSS THEIR PROBLEMS AND THEIR RESOLUTION

It is understood, from the discussions of workers and contending trade-unionists who spoke in the meetings mentioned above, that their recent actions have brought about more self confidence in the speeches of workers and contending trade-unionists. Furthermore, it was, undoubtedly, very significant that workers tabled their issues, joined their capabilities and experiences to resolve those issues, to gather together to jointly discuss and to create a single voice for their common aim and struggle.

Therefore, the two meetings mentioned above especially carry a distinguished meaning that the workers have discussed their issues, have come together to jointly look for the resolution of them.

By the same token, it is qualitatively a continuation of the two other meetings that, in İzmir, the Labour and Democracy Platform, workers, public servants and local unionists have made a call to all workers and laborers for common struggle by going into action and reiterating their demands in loud and clear voice as May Day approaches. In fact, the workers and laborers, coming together in Gundoğdu Square and voicing their demands as May Day approaches, have called upon, not only those of Izmir but, all the workers and laborers of Turkey, for “getting united on May Day around their demands to voice them louder.”

Upon looking into closely, we will have understood the speeches and slogans shouted out in Gundoğdu Square as in the same level as  we see them as the reflected form of the discussions carried out in the meeting rooms, on the Square. It is understood from meeting room discussions and the speeches and slogans in the field that it is evident these meetings should not be limited to only İstanbul, Gebze and İzmir. And therefore, such meetings are necessary to be held on every occasion, using every potential by and for workers in all industrial regions and service sectors to get together, to share their experiences, to achieve consensus on how to carry out their struggle in order to realise their demands, to debate which demands to bring up on May Day.

Of course, by using the meeting rooms and squares!

IN ORDER TO CELEBRATE MAY DAY IN ACCORDANCE WITH ITS MEANING AND IMPORTANCE

For a long period of time, May Day celebrations have not anymore held confined to a square with just demonstration purposes or actions in city squares specific and limited to May Day.

On the contrary, May Days in our country, as they span across the month of April under the name of “Preparations for May Day celebrations,” following the celebrations during the last week of April in localities, in workplaces, in industrial zones, in laborers neighbourhoods, get realised as celebrations extending up to city squares.

Indeed, workers, making conclusions in ITULP meetings, draw attention to that the celebrations have to start from workplaces.

Apart from others, considering that May Day will coincide with the eve of the Eid, in order to get to the squares in a strong manner, it is obvious that the actions to be held, covering the celebrations, will also gain more importance compared to even recent years.

CALL FOR ‘NO TO WAR’: GETTING OUT OF NATO IS AMONG THE MAY DAY DEMANDS

Workers, public servants and laborers of various trades, getting out to the squares on Sunday upon the call from Labour and Democracy Platform, declared in Gundoğdu Square their common demands that they would bring up during the days leading to May Day.

These demands are those raised during recent months in almost every worker, labourer meeting such as “Withdrawal of price hikes,” “A just tax system,” “Removal of SCT (Special Consumption Tax) and WAT on basic consumer goods,” “Wages and pay for a decent living (demand for additional wage increase),” “Secure employment for all and banning the lay-offs,” “Removal of legal and practical obstacles for the right to strike and union”... However, in relation to the war of domination in Ukraine that has become the field of domination struggle between Western imperialists and Russia, İzmir Labour and Democracy Platform, calling for “No to WAR,” upholding the demands for the working class internationalism and for the fraternal world in peace such as “Out of NATO,” “Shutting down of NATO and US Bases in Turkey,” declared them amongst the demands of 2022 May Day. In fact, the demands related to war had been carefully voiced in the İstanbul meeting of ITULP, as well as the demands for “No to War,” “Out of NATO,” and “Budget for people not for war and armament” during the meeting called by Labour Party in Gebze.

Thus, 2022 May Day will be celebrated demanding

“Unification, Solidarity and Struggle against Price Hikes, Poverty and War,”

“Long live May Day against Exploitation and War”!