FOUNDING MEMBERS


Hayri Oguz
Omer Karahasan
Izzet Ozcan
Kenan Erboran
Kemal Karabacak
Sadik Eren
Memduh Suer
Mustafa Erol
Sabri Kocer
Suleyman Ceviker
Veli Toker



PERIODS OF DUTY OF THE TRADE UNION PRESIDENTS

History of Establishment


The first General Assembly was gathered in 17 November 1946 with the participation of 99 members at which Mine Workers Foundation of Eregli Coal Basin was established. There were 11 founding members composed of 5 head miner, 3 foreman, 2 chief and 1 inspector. The president was Memduh Suer.

General Assembly of Mine Workers Foundation of Eregli Coal Basin gathered in 9 April 1947 with the participation of 150 delegates. As a necessity of the new legislation an amendment was made in the statutes and the title of the foundation was renamed as “Mine Workers Trade Union of Eregli Coal Basin” . Professor Sadi Irmak who was the first minister of Labor in Turkey also participated to the General Assembly. Mustafa Kocer was elected President.

The trade union was Turkey’s largest shop level union.

The first issue of “Trade Union” newspaper was published in 15 September 1947.

Grouped miners working in bimonthly rotating shifts particularly refused to join the trade union. A contact was made with the Ministry of Industry, canvas and fabric were purchased from the production coast and were sold to the workers from the same price. After this event workers began joining the union. In one year period the number of members increased to 19 thousand.

In 1954 Omer Karahasan was elected President. He left his post to Rasim Girgin in 9 September 1956 but regained it in 1957. Muzaffer Yilmaz became president in 1958.

Political interventions to the ordinary congress held in 3 June 1959 had started from the delegate elections. Delegate lists were formed under surveillance of the deputy governor. On the second day no one including the guests were accepted to the congress room. Niyazi Yildiz who was the supporter of the political party in power became the President.

27 May 1960 and After 

The Founding Assembly was composed of 297 members in which a quota of 6 were reserved for the trade unions. There were 37 candidates. Omer Karahasan who was the president of Zonguldak Mine Workers Union was elected to the Founding Assembly from the first row. He than lost the elections in the 14th Congress of the trade union against his friend Mehmet Alp Dundar with only one vote. Karahasan continued his relations with the other executive boards and died as the Director of the trade union Training Department.

Strike is Unrestricted for the Miner 

As 1961 Constitution was accepted in the Founding Assembly, the right to strike for the workers was recognized. According to paragraph (d) of the Strike Legislation Draft “Strikes could not be held in Zonguldak Mines” 
After Ecevit became the Minister of Labor, legislation draft was consulted in the assembly and than transferred to the parliament. Representatives of employers, workers and government gathered in 22 January 1962. Omer Karahasan explained the objection made to the paragraph (d). Cahit Talas, the labor minister of the period supported Karahasan and the right to strike in coal mines took place in regulation number 275.

General Assembly held in 1964 elected Osman Ipekci as President.


1965 Events 

On 10 March 1965 the Gelik workers went on a strike so that the seniority, license and capability raises could be applied to all of the workers. Strike spread to the basin in a short period of time. On the night of 11 March the strike leaped to the Kozlu region. The provocative attitudes of the regional director, mayor and the other authorizations increased the tension. As a result of soldiers opening fire, mine worker Satilmis Cavdar and Satilmis Tepe lost their lives.

After 6 years of Osman Ipekci’s presidency Mehmet Tezer was elected president in 15 March 1972. Tezer continued his duty as president till 1989 without an interruption. On July the 4th 1989 he retired on his own desire. Semsi Denizer ; who broke the barriers in front of our countries working class, who notified to the world the mine workers and who wrote to the history the struggle of mine workers with golden letters, was elected as President.

After Semsi Denizer was elected as Presidents, changes in the interior structure of the trade union took place. The expression of “Our principles are, to work, respect our heads, and love our job” written under the logo of the trade union newspaper changed to “Bread, Peace, Freedom”. A highly concentrated period of work took a start as the problems of our country and workers grew day after day, and as the political party in power sacrificed workers who are receiving fixed incomes.

The first Representatives Committee meeting was held in 26 January 1990. The first rally was held in 24 February 1990 with the participation of tens of thousands. The Miners Strike of 1990 and the grand march to Ankara in 1991 took its place in the history of world labor movement. The political party in power lost the 1991 general elections.

Denizer was elected General Secretary of Confederation of Trade Unions of Turkey (TURK-IS) in December of 1992 and continued his work till he was shot in 6 August 1999.

The Congress held in 14 August 1999 elected Cetin Altun as President. Altun was also elected Secretary of Training at the Congress of TURK-IS held between 1-5 December 1999. 



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