US embassy cable - 05ANKARA1171

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 001171 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR DRL/IL - PLEASE PASS TO DOL/ILAB BILL BRUMFIELD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ELAB, PHUM, PGOV, SOCI, TU 
SUBJECT: LABOR-RELATED CHALLENGES AND INITIATIVES FOR 
TURKEY'S EU ACCESSION 
 
REF: ANKARA 482 
 
(U) Classified by Political Counselor John Kunstadter, E. O. 
12958, reasons 1.4 (B) and (D). 
 
(U) 1.  Summary.  Some Turkish labor leaders profess to see 
no challenges ahead for them in the EU accession process. 
However, other labor leaders, and some government officials 
identify protecting core labor rights, wage equality, 
parental leave issues, discrimination, worker representatives 
in the workplace and high unemployment as issues with which 
Turkey will have to cope.  End summary. 
 
 
No Real Problems for Labor 
 
 
2.  (U) Hak-Is Labor Union President Salim Uslu, who asserts 
he is a confidante of PM Erdogan, is upbeat about Turkey's 
prospects to join the EU and is determined to ensure that the 
members of his union benefit from Turkey's potential economic 
growth as a result of harmonization.  Uslu asserts he does 
not envision problems or challenges for Turkish labor unions 
as the country prepares for commencement of the EU 
harmonization process in October 2005.  Denying there are any 
problems for labor unions posed by the accession process, he 
volunteered that Hak-Is is offering vocational retraining 
programs to workers losing their jobs so they can become 
competitive in other, more technologically-oriented jobs. 
Uslu also anticipates the Ministry of National Education will 
approach Hak-Is with a proposal for an education program, but 
was unable to provide us with specifics. 
 
3.  (U) Long-time Turk-Is contact and current Yol-Is 
International Relations Officer, Yildirim Koc also does not 
see EU legislation as posing an obstacle for Turkish labor 
unions in the accession process.  Referring to ILO core labor 
requirements, Koc observes that ILO conventions regarding 
issues such as the freedom of association are not a mandatory 
part of the acquis.  Although Koc is generally critical of 
AKP initiatives or programs that envision cooperation with 
the West, he is optimistic regarding Turkey's readiness to 
join the EU and downplays any possibility of potential 
challenges or EU resistance to Turkish membership. 
 
4.  (U) AKP MP from Trabzon and Head of Parliament's 
Commission for Health, Family, Labor and Social Affairs 
Cevdet Erdol does not envision major problems with current 
Turkish legislation conforming to EU requirements, but 
suggests some minor amendments related to paternal leave and 
leave for adoptive parents might be pursued (reftel).  Erdol 
also stated that Turkish and European social conditions are 
not similar and Turkey faces major problems stemming from 
unemployment, poverty and a high birth rate, social 
conditions which will take a long time to resolve. 
 
 
Core Labor Rights Important 
 
 
 
5.  (U) In contrast to Koc and Uslu, Ankara DISK Labor 
Confederation representative Tayfun Gorgun is concerned that 
the GOT continues to abridge core labor rights such as 
interfering with freedom of association activities, among 
them the right to strike and collective bargaining.  Gorgun 
asserted that he had advised then EU Commissioner for 
Enlargement Guenter Verheugen to protect the right of 
association, including the right to strike, and to collective 
bargaining, as important requirements for Turkey's EU 
accession preparations.  DISK has asked EU representatives to 
monitor labor issues during the accession process, perhaps in 
the process making the sailing toward full EU membership a 
little less smooth than Uslu and Koc have described.  Gorgon 
recalled an argument, which almost broke up the meeting, 
between the EU and Turk-Is, Hak-Is, and DISK when DISK 
demanded protection for labor union rights. 
 
 
Unions Weak 
 
 
6.  (U) Public Workers Union Kamu-Sen head Bircan Akyildiz 
believes the Turkish public does not know very much about 
Turkey's EU accession process.  He is concerned that Turks 
have "different characteristics" and may not be accepted by 
Europeans.  Akyildiz states that Turkey will have to solve 
unemployment issues, improve investment opportunities, and 
resolve religious, cultural and social differences, all 
long-term problems that will require time to resolve prior to 
being accepted by the EU.  Akyildiz's main worry is that 
civil servants will have less job security under EU 
membership.  He believes Turkish unions are weak and cannot 
engage in collective bargaining, a core labor right taken for 
granted in the EU.  Akyildiz doubts that Turkey will ever 
become a full EU member. 
 
 
EU Requires Legislation 
 
7.  (U) Turkish MFA Secretariat General for EU Affairs 
Director for Sectoral and Regional Policies Nursen Numanoglu 
told us there are minor discrepancies regarding legislation 
between the EU and Turkish points of view.  She asserts 
Turkish law already prohibits discrimination, although the EU 
is insisting on what she describes as "corrective 
redundancies" -- or legislation that specifically prohibits 
discrimination based on gender, sexual orientation and race. 
Numanoglu indicated her office intends to "negotiate" with EU 
representatives regarding unnecessary legislation.  She 
stated the EU is also asking Turkey to enact legislation 
related to parental leave, particularly extending leave to 
fathers and permitting a longer period of maternity leave for 
mothers -- issues she does not view as problems and currently 
being considered by Parliament.  Numanoglu sees a challenge 
stemming from protecting trade union rights for worker 
representation as well as a need to respond to an EU 
requirement to create worker representative positions in the 
workplace.  She noted a specific EU fund exists to facilitate 
Turkish legislation to support line institutions such as the 
Ministry of Labor in the acquis process.  The fund has 
allocated Euros 1,050 million for 2004 through 2006 for a 
variety of programs, including education, gender equality, 
combating social exclusion and religious discrimination. 
 
 
Employer Confederation Sees No Serious Criticism 
 
 
8.  (U) Turkish Employer Confederation Secretary General 
Bulent Pirler advised us that Turkish government and NGO 
institutions are reviewing requirements related to gender, 
wages and religion.  Like Numanoglu, he asserts Turkey has 
already implemented defacto non-discrimination practices, but 
that legislation needs to be enacted.  Pirler mentioned 
thresholds for union representation in the workplace is an 
important issue and indicated TISK would be amenable to 
negotiating these figures.  Pirler noted EU representatives 
wanted to assure protection for the right to strike and other 
civil struggles.  However, along with other interlocutors, 
Pirler does not see these as serious criticisms.  He observed 
that EU member states had not ratified the same provisions as 
were being required of Turkey, commenting, "Let them mind 
their own business first."  Pirler does not see child labor 
as a problem for Turkey.  In response to the challenge of EU 
membership, TISK is concentrating its efforts to secure 
increased advantages for its members and lobbying to have 
TISK participate in EU-Turkey discussions for all chapters, 
not just those relevant to labor. 
 
 
GOT Responsible for Legislation 
 
 
9.  (U)  Koc observed the GOT promised both the International 
Labor Organization (ILO) and the EU to resolve questions 
related to freedom of association by October 2005 and asserts 
there are no requirements for legislation or challenges 
mandated by EU accession chapters regarding wages, the right 
to strike or freedom of association. (Comment:  This directly 
contradicts European Commission social policy sector manager 
Zeynep Aydemir's (reftel) concern regarding the protection of 
Turkish trade union rights.  End comment.) Turk-Is 
International Relations Director Nevres Yuksel told us the 
GOT, rather than labor unions, had the responsibility for 
making sure labor legislation harmonized with EU 
requirements.  Turkish financial newspaper Dunya 
correspondents Ilkay Yoruk and Zafer Sahin, like other 
interlocutors, also think that it is the GOT's responsibility 
to prepare Turkey for EU accession. 
EDELMAN