The Tekel workers, who are resisting since 61 days for their employment rights, cried out once again that they will struggle against the slave-like working conditions resulting from privatisation until they win. {divide}
On the 58th day of the resistance, the leadership of Tek Gida-Is evaluated the health report by the delegation of the Turkish Medical Association and decided to stop the hunger strike because of the worsening health condition of the workers and serious health problems. Some workers protested against this decision and decided to continue with the hunger strike; 16 workers are continuing with their indefinite hunger strike.
At the same day, the general president of Turk-Is Mustafa Kumlu made a statement after his meeting with Prime Minister Erdogan announcing that Erdogan said "there is nothing to do. They have time until the end of the month." He added that there is no new development from the part of the government but that they do insist in implementing the 4-C law. The leadership of Turk-Is went to the president of the republic, the president of parliament and to the prime minister hoping to "getting a contribution", however again without any result.
After these negotiations, the general presidents of Turk-Is, Kamu-Sen, Kesk, Disk and Tek Gida-Is met at a meeting of the confederations, stating that they will evaluate the results of the negotiations. After the meeting of the confederations, they declared reminding that measures like the 4-C laws are irregular and illegal, that they will struggle until these measures are abolished. Furthermore, they stated that the legal proceeding already started and that preparations have been started to start a trial at the state council to cancel it.
Another decision taken at the meeting of the confederations is to gather all the workers and labourers on February 20, 2010 in Ankara. The confederations are calling upon the workers and labourers to come to Ankara and unite around the Tekel workers in order to make the struggle more effective and their voice be heard even stronger.
From the beginning on, the Tekel workers forced the confederations to struggle and they announced that the only victory will be a possible result of this struggle. Leaving behind two month of Tekel resistance as a result of their determinant attitude, the workers and labourers have shown that there is no space for collaboration and reconciliation.