Warm Welcome and Strong Messages from HAK-İŞ President Mahmut Arslan to Democratic Congo Delegation

ANKARA - HAK-İŞ Confederation, one of the umbrella organizations of the Turkish labour movement, hosted the delegation of the National Federation of All State, City and Community Workers of Democratic Congo (UNTC) as an indicator of the importance it attaches to international trade union solidarity. The two sides came together in the training program hosted by HİZMET-İŞ Trade Union and exchanged ideas on a wide range of issues from the exchange of trade union experiences to the genocide in Palestine. HAK-İŞ President Mahmut Arslan summarized the main purpose of the meeting by saying, "We have assumed responsibilities to carry our relations forward and to carry the trade union movement stronger into the future."

HAK-İŞ and SERV-İŞ: Two Strong Voices of Turkey

Mahmut Arslan emphasized the place and power of HAK-İŞ and HİZMET-İŞ in Turkish labor life in his speech. Stating that the Confederation has completed its 50th anniversary and HİZMET-İŞ Union has completed its 47th anniversary, Arslan said, "We are talking about two great structures of Turkish labor life. HAK-İŞ is one of the biggest labor organizations in Turkey. HİZMET-İŞ Trade Union is the largest labor union in Turkey," he said, drawing attention to the broad structure of the organization. He stated that they define trade unions not only as labor organizations, but also as civil society and human rights organizations that produce solutions to social problems.

Turkey's Rising Power in the Global Trade Union Movement

Arslan underlined the different mission of HAK-İŞ in the trade union struggle and said, "The power of HAK-İŞ is the power of Turkey." He stated that while the Confederation represents the national trade union understanding at the highest level, it also adopts a universal international trade union understanding. In this context, he said that they are among the important stakeholders of ITUC, ETUC and AATUF, which are the world's largest workers' organizations, and revealed the effective role of HAK-İŞ in the global trade union movement.

"Democratic Congo's Struggle is Our Struggle"

Praising the determination and willingness to learn of trade unionists from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mr. Arslan highlighted the difficulties stemming from the country's colonial past. "Africa belongs to Africans. Africa's resources should belong to Africans," he said, making clear their stance against imperialist policies. He expressed his belief that the people of the Democratic Congo deserve a better life and better working opportunities.

The Common Suffering of Palestine and Congo

Mahmut Arslan, in the most emotional part of his speech, drew attention to the similarities between the genocides in Palestine and the past sufferings of the Democratic Congolese people. "We know that the people of the Democratic Congo have experienced similar genocides in the past to those in Palestine," Arslan said, emphasizing the common destiny of the two peoples. He stated that they have been in solidarity with their Palestinian brothers and sisters for 77 years and that this solidarity is vital for both peoples.

The Struggle for Trade Union Rights in Altındağ

Arslan touched upon current union problems in Turkey as well as international issues. Condemning the pressure and dismissals in Altındağ Municipality, Arslan emphasized that HAK-İŞ and HİZMET-İŞ will fight to the end to protect workers' rights. "We are flagging this struggle, we are continuing it in the most honorable way and we will continue until these friends of ours return to their jobs," he said, reiterating their resolute stance.

UNTC President Ndongala: "We want to grow our relations even more"

Speaking on behalf of the Democratic Congo delegation, UNTC President Ndongala Modeste Amedee Nsıbu expressed his pleasure to be in Turkey. Stating that their union has a long history of 58 years, Ndongala said that they could not realize the cooperation agreement signed in 2012 due to the turmoil in their countries, but they revived the relations with mutual visits. "We want to further strengthen this cooperation and grow our relations even more," he said, expressing his expectations for the future.