The Permanent Conference of Euro-Mediterranean Metal Industry Unions, organized by the Turkish Metalworkers' Union, the Italian Metalworkers' Union FIM-CISL, and the Italian Trade Union Development Association Sindnova, began on May 10, 2018, in Didim. The conference, hosted by our union, was attended by trade unionists from Italy, Spain, France, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, Albania, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, and Tunisia.
The opening speech of the conference was delivered by the late President of the Turkish Metalworkers' Union, Pevrul Kavlak. President Kavlak, starting his speech by evaluating the current economic and political situation in the world, said: “The global working class needs more sharing, solidarity, and values like unity and togetherness. History has shown us that without unity, without workers coming together and standing in solidarity, they cannot fight against the system that creates all these evils. They cannot overcome these problems. Therefore, we must be the ones who, despite everything, call on people, especially workers, to unite and fight. As unions that derive their strength from organization, we must strengthen this table of brotherhood.”
Continuing his speech by highlighting how Western countries shifted their production to regions where labor is cheaper in the past years due to globalization, President Kavlak stated that nowadays, with Industry 4.0, Western countries are aiming to bring production back to Europe, hoping for more efficient and higher-quality production without any workers. He warned the Euro-Mediterranean metal unions as follows: “It is impossible to resist the flow of history and oppose technology. Therefore, what we must do is prevent these developments from harming people, families, societies, and even humanity as a whole. Because, make no mistake, unemployment is the root cause of all social illnesses. Poverty, corruption, degradation, and all societal decay stem from unemployment. Unemployment is the enemy of hope. It is the enemy of social peace, stability, and security. Therefore, we must stop any development that would lead to unemployment. This should be everyone's priority. The social consequences of technological developments must be carefully calculated. If planning is done solely for profit, the social cost will be very high. Unemployed, hopeless, and discontented masses are the biggest threat to social peace and security.”
President Kavlak emphasized the importance of unions fighting together to mitigate the harmful effects of technological developments and Industry 4.0 on the world of labor. He concluded his speech as follows: “In the process of globalization, our only salvation against the attacks on workers' rights and freedoms worldwide lies in the unity, integrity, and collective struggle of the working class. Therefore, I hope that this unity and solidarity will continue to strengthen in the Mediterranean region and around the world. I am happy to convey the feelings of solidarity and brotherhood from Turkish workers to workers all over the world. I believe that better and more hopeful days, a world full of peace and tranquility, await us. We are the ones who will build it. We are determined, faithful, and ready to fight and struggle for it until the end. We will never lose hope. Our strength will come from our unity.”
Following President Pevrul Kavlak’s speech, Çelik-İş Union President Yunus Değirmenci took the floor. In his speech, Değirmenci emphasized the importance of the recent unity and solidarity achieved between the Çelik-İş Union and the Turkish Metalworkers' Union, stating: “With the thought that the real concern is workers' rights and benefits, we have opened the doors to a new era in Turkey by deciding to act together instead of being rivals.”
The opening program of the Permanent Conference of Euro-Mediterranean Metal Industry Unions concluded with speeches by Claudio Arlati from the Italian Trade Union Development Association Sindnova and Gianni Aliotti, the Head of International Relations at the Italian Metalworkers' Union FIM-CISL.
The conference, hosted by Turkish Metal, was attended by representatives from the Çelik-İş Union, the Italian Metalworkers' Union FIM-CISL, the Italian Trade Union Development Association Sindnova, Italian Whirpool, Italian Fiat Chrysler, Bosnia and Herzegovina Metalworkers' Union, Serbia Industrial Union, Serbia Autonomous Metal Union, Serbia IER Nezavisnot Union, Serbia Independent Workers Union, Montenegro Metalworkers' Union, Kosovo SPMK Union, France FGMM Metal Union under the CFDT Confederation, French Renault, Spain UGT-FICA Union, Spain USO Union, Albanian FSPISH Metalworkers' Union, Bulgaria SFMM-PODKREPA Union, Tunisian FGME-UGTT Union, and North Macedonian SIER Unions.
The conference was also attended by Guido Nielsen, Economic Advisor at IndustriALL Europe; Prof. Dr. M. Mutinelli from the University of Brescia in Italy; Prof. Dr. Luciano Griso from the University of Milan in Italy; Dr. Marco Ricceri, Director of EURISPES; Prof. Dr. Seyhan Erdoğdu from Ankara University; Turkish Metalworkers' Union Deputy Presidents Mesut Gezer and Yusuf Ziya Odabaş; General Secretary Av. Taliphan Kıymaz; Head of Turkish Metal Research and Training Center Dr. Naci Önsal; and numerous guests.
The Permanent Conference of Euro-Mediterranean Metal Industry Unions, held from May 10 to May 12, 2018, at the Didim Büyük Anadolu Resort Hotel, will conclude with five working sessions.
