Braving the rain – and despite all of the travel restrictions imposed in Istanbul – the May Day demonstration in Kadikoy, organised by trade union confederations DISK and KESK and professional associations, brought together tens of thousands.
Unionised workers from all sectors – construction workers, health workers, teachers, metal workers and many more – formed their own contingents and raised their own demands.
Thousands of university and school students, who were the driving force behind the mass protests in Turkey, organised their own contingents in support of workers’ struggles.
There were also two seperate protests in Istanbul. One of them was organised by the biggest trade union confederation, Türk-iş, which has a right-wing leadership.
Another one was organised by students and some trade unions who wanted to reclaim Taksim Square from which protests are banned.
These students believed that, given the historical importance of the square, it would be far better to march towards the Taksim Square. They argued that it was a capitulation to accept the government’s undemocratic ban on protesting at or near Taksim Square following mass anti government protests some years ago.
Outrageously, the police have resorted to very violent methods, including one officer putting their knee on a protester’s neck. Over 400 students and trade unionists who wanted to march to Taksim Square were detained.
All of those who have been detained by the police must be released immediately. The workers’ movement must campaign to defend all democratic rights. Release all political prisoners now!
Mass action of workers and youth needed
Unfortunately, no agreement was reached to organise a single demonstration in Istanbul that could bring together all trade union confederations and students, on a concrete set of class demands.
Such a united demonstration would have sent a powerful message to the government that the workers’ movement, together with students who are fighting for their future, will fight the government’s attacks on workers and young people.
Nevertheless, the May Day demonstration across the country gave a glimpse of the power of the workers’ movement and its ability to potentially mobilise hundreds of thousands of workers.
Despite the government’s vicious anti-democratic attacks on the right to protest and organise, including the right to join a union and to go on strike, and the attempts of the rotten trade union bureaucracy trying to stifle workers’ action, huge pressure can be exerted for the trade unions to organise another mass demonstration.
Such a demonstration should raise concrete demands, such as defending trade union rights and calling for inflation-busting pay rises, as well as raising the need for nationalisation with no compensation to fat cats. If successful, it could also boost the confidence of the working class.
Such demands on trade union leaderships, together with rank-and-file pressure, would serve to expose the current rotten bureaucratic leadership of unions. And help the struggle needed to transform unions into democratic and combative trade unions.
If trade unions fail to organise a mass demonstration, then a coalition made up of willing trade unions, left groups and students could organise a demonstration around a fighting programme, and offer a socialist way out of the crisis. An appeal should also be made to all organised and unorganised workers.
A coalition of the willing would also pose the vital question of what the workers’ movement should do in future elections. It would open up democratic debates about what steps are needed to increase the cohesion and confidence of the working class.
On the basis of the daily struggles of the working class and young people in the fight for better living standards, socialist ideas can become even more popular. We need to build the socialist opposition to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s anti-democratic and anti-working class regime.
In the stormy period we are heading too, therefore, socialists cannot hide or water down a Marxist programme and strategy. This is essential not only to defeat Erdogan’s increasingly authoritarian, repressive regime but also to build a future free from oppression and poverty.