42 Years in the Struggle
“… DİSK was a hope, a torch and a bearor of the flag which symbolises a belief, beyond only to be an organisation with juristic personality. This belief is to wake up theTurkish working class, to warn them to claim their own rights with courage, to eliminate foreign influence in trade UNIONism in our country, to gain power to force indepth changes foreseen in our progressive statue in accordance with our traditional improvement line… It’s because these aims and progressive principles have genuine characteristics which could shake off the miserable and suffering classes and groups and help their progress; DİSK found it’s place and increased its influence within the society immediately.” (3th General Congress,1970)
The founders of DİSK were saying; ‘We have united for the dignity, freedoms, rights and interests of whole working class.’ DİSK has brought principles and dignity to trade UNION struggle. With DİSK, workers has got rid of slavery and contempt.
Since it’s establishment, DİSK had to resist the attacks coming from the goverments, capital groups and yellow trade UNIONism. Every kind of organized attacks were arranged to prevent awakening of the working class but DİSK succeeded to overcome all these difficulties with it’s power coming from the belief and conscious of working class.
After fourty two years of struggle DİSK has protected the dignity of labor and become the honour of working class. The essential principles of DİSK;1. The right of members to speak and to take decision. 2. Realism 3. Independency 4.Unity of workers in Trade UNIONs
42 years of independent trade UNIONism
The Confederation has founded on 13th February of 1967. The creation and development of DİSK is the result of the search of Turkish working class for a new way of trade UNIONism as a result of the changing economic and social conditions of Turkey in 1960’s.
DİSK which has spent big effort for the freedom of organization and free choice of trade UNION has applied referandums widely and became the the first real alternative against state manipulated UNIONism. Whatever was won by the Turkish trade UNION movement for the working class, DİSK had an important role.
Today with 17 affiliated trade UNIONs and around 407.684 members; DİSK defends the interests of working class in all platforms and struggles for new gains under the guidance of the principles gained from the history.
DİSK is a mass organisation
DİSK who struggles to protect and improve the economic and democratic rights of workers is a mass organisation bringing together all the working people whether they are blue or white collared, working for industry or agriculture; regardless of their sex, religion, ethnic origin, mother language or region. All wage earners can become member of Trade UNIONs affiliated to DİSK.
DİSK is a class organisation
Trade UNIONs are the part of the contradiction and struggle between labour and capital. Workers exploited and crushed by the capital, come together within trade UNIONs for defending their interests.
The interests of the workers selling their labor power, working together, sharing common problems and interests and constitute a class with their social position and place in production
relations; are class interests. Trade UNIONs to which these workers, who have objectively conflicting interests with the capitalists become members, are thus class organizations.
Being a mass organization and a class organization are two complementary properties of trade UNIONs.
DİSK is an independent organisation
Trade UNIONs must act independently from political parties, political groups, governments, capital, state and official ideology. Thus DİSK is an independent organisation. However, independency of trade UNIONism does not mean ‘neutrality’ in political issues. DİSK and it’s affiliates support the policies in favor of working class and the society.
DİSK, struggles for democracy, national independence and a permanent peace in the world . DİSK does not only aim to change and improve the wages of the workers but also their social position.
DİSK is a democratic organisation
DİSK and it’s affiliates are organisations who apply trade UNION democracy as a reflection of their struggle for social and political democracy. Trade UNION democracy means the right to be elected, the right to elect executives through democratic elections; the right to express ideas and the right of decision making by free ballots.
In DİSK and it’s affiliated trade UNIONs, democratic involvement of all members in decision making, implementation of decisions and controlling of implementation procedures is a basic condition. It’s thus the basic principle of DİSK and it’s affiliates to have the rank and file to enjoy the right of speech and decision.
Workplace representatives of DİSK are directly elected by the workers. Draft texts of collective agreements are prepared together with the workers in workplaces. The negotiations during collective bargainings are run by the involvement of worker representatives who are elected by workers and these representatives inform members regularly on negotiations.
The agreement reached between the UNION and Employer is taken to the final voting of workers before it’s signed. Strikes are decided by free will of workers expressed by ballots.
