Turkish workers demand economic justice at massive rally in Ankara
On 20 October 2024, around 100,000 workers gathered in Tandoğan Square, Ankara, for the “We Are Struggling, We Can’t Make Ends Meet” rally organised by the Turkish Confederation of Labour Unions (Türk-İş). The demonstration aimed to highlight the economic hardships faced by workers, calling for urgent reforms in tax justice and labour rights. Protesters voiced their frustrations, chanting slogans such as “No charity, we want collective bargaining,” underscoring the growing discontent with the government’s economic policies.
Among the demonstrators were thousands of members from YOL-IS, AGAC-IS, CIMSE-IS and ORMAN-IS affiliated with the Building and Wood Workers' International (BWI). The trade unionists stood in solidarity with fellow workers as they voiced out their grievances and demanded reforms to address the plight of pensioners, subcontracted workers, and minimum-wage earners.
Testimonies from various worker representatives underscored the rally’s central themes. Speakers called for better protections for subcontracted workers, increases in pensions to combat inflation, and measures to address gender disparities and femicides. The struggle of minimum-wage earners to support their families on meagre salaries was also a prominent concern.
BWI expressed solidarity with Turkish workers through Ramazan Agar, President of the BWI-affiliated YOL-IS and Vice-President of Türk-İş, stating: “The voices of Turkish workers resonate across the world today. We will not back down until our demands are met. Solidarity is our strength, and through unity, we will achieve meaningful change.”