Head of TUSIAD defends ‘acquired rights’ of workers

The head of Turkey’s top business lobby intervened Tuesday in the controversy over severance pay for workers in an unusual way, defending the “acquired rights” of laborers.

A delegation from the Turkish Industry & Business Association, or TÜSİAD, led by Chairwoman Ümit Boyner, visited three top ministers from the new Turkish Cabinet in Ankara on Tuesday.

Meeting with the delegation, Science, Industry and Technology Minister Nihat Ergün said the government aims to finish work on a new medium-term economic program before the new budget draft is sent to Parliament to be debated.

Boyner meanwhile said she believed Parliament could present the “will” to write a new constitution. “The solution to every question lies in Parliament,” she told journalists. “We hope political parties within and outside of Parliament act according to this will. A new constitution can only be realized with this approach.”

Regarding Turkey’s competitive power, Boyner said the economy should move toward sustainable growth that creates more domestic added value.

“For this, industrial policies, industry strategy and contributions from science and technology are crucial,” the Anatolia news agency quoted her as saying. In her remarks, Boyner also emphasized the need for a new incentive program aimed at the private sector.
Emphasis on ‘acquired rights’

During her visit to Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan, Boyner reflected on the controversy surrounding alleged government plans to abolish or curb severance pay.

“Labor markets should be assessed as a whole,” Boyner said. “Regarding severance pay, all acquired rights should be protected, in a forward-looking way. I don’t think there will be any backtracking on this. A new arrangement in non-salary costs could be realized, but what’s important is to increase employment.”

All such arrangements should be implemented “in accordance with the Trade Unions Act,” the TÜSİAD chief added, implying the need for consensus.

Babacan said the parameters of a change in the severance payment scheme will be determined “after talks with employer representatives and employee representatives.”

“I read with awe in today’s newspapers,” he said, referring to stories claiming that severance pay will be slashed from one month’s salary for each year worked to six months of pay for 20 years of work. “I don’t understand how these figures come out. Our studies on a new severance payment fund will be based on the protection of worker’s rights. At the same time, it will aim to [lessen] the burden on the employer.”

The TÜSİAD delegation also visited Family and Social Policies Minister Fatma Şahin, the only female Cabinet member, who said the government’s aim is to enact “social policies that prioritize the happiness of 74 million” citizens.

During the meeting, Boyner noted that the rate of women’s participation in the labor force is only 24 percent, as opposed to rates as high as 54 percent in developed countries.

July 19, 2011
SOURCE: Daily News with wires