On March 13 many mass actions have been organised in Turkey and Northern Kurdistan against the draft law of Social Insurances and General Health Insurance (SSGSS) which means health treatment according to money and pension in grave and on March 14 10.000 workers and labourers went on the streets following the call of Labour Platform. By realising a two hour lasting warning strike they demanded the cancellation of the law. Despite prime minister Erdogan's ban, life stopped all over the country and the traffic was blocked. While the government was threatening at the beginning, it was forced to move a step backwards after the actions on March 14 and sat down for negotiations.
On March 24 the participants of Labour Platform, consisting of the Ministry of Labour and 17 labour organisations gathered to negotiate on the SSGSS draft law. As a result of the meeting it was announced that some parts of the draft law will be changed. However, the rise in pension age to 65 years was not cancelled, while the number of the days that premiums should be paid was increased to 7200. The yellow union Turk-Is that joined the negotiations supported the Ministry of Labour, first of all the unions DISK , KESK and TTB declared to be dissatisfied with the results of the negotiations and to go on fighting the draft law. After the negotiations the Ministry of Labour, instead, had announced to the press and public that they had "agreed" on many topics, and no further information was given.
During the negotiations the workers raised their voices against SSGSS on the streets. In Istanbul 500 workers and labourers followed the call of the Platform Health and a Safe Future to everyone, which consists of 76 different unions, organisations and parties and among whom are besides DISK and KESK also the ESP , EMEP and DTP , and organised sit-in actions at Aksaray Metro Station and Kadikoy Iskele Square. At these actions slogans such as "Workers and officials, hand in hand towards general strike" were shouted calling upon Labour Platform putting emphasis on a general strike instead of an agreement and demanding the cancellation of the draft law.
In its statement of March 27 titled "We have not agreed", the Platform Health and a Safe Future to Everyone stressed the fact that SSGSS is not "a "reform" in health and social security but destruction" and explained its action plan against the draft law for the near future. On March 29, DISK, KESK and TTB made a statement after Labour Platform had gathered and declared that they will reveal the dirty plans of the government and the Ministry of Labour on the society's right on health and will not give up the fight for a safe future.
The workers and labourers who showed that they are insisting on the total cancellation of SSGSS went on strike on April 1 at 2am. Ten thousands of workers and labourers first of all in Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir stopped the production and went on the streets. They marched in front of the AKP `s local offices and shouted that they will never accept this law. As it happened in Ankara, the labourers resisted with their militant stance against the brutal attacks of the police and raised the slogan "General strike, general resistance" on the streets. Although the leaderships of the unions Hak-Is and Turk-Is, which are near to government, did not call on their member organisations to participate in the strike, many unions affiliated to Turk-Is joined the actions.
The Platform Health and a Safe Future to Everyone will organise a rally at Istanbul-Kadikoy on April 6 to continue with its fight against this law.
The struggle against SSGSS is growing more and more and supported by all parts of society.
The rise of workers' actions recently shows us that the struggle is developing towards a new general strike and general resistance. Our duty is now not to allow unions such as Turk-Is and Hak-Is that are following the government to destroy the struggle and put the demand general strike and general resistance on the working class' agenda. We communists must work harder than before to widen its activities in enlightening and organising the working class.