El-Sen will suspend its strike action, President of the Cyprus Turkish Electricity Authority Employees Union (El-Sen) Caglayan Cesurer, has announced, Yeniduzen reports.
The union, which has been on strike for 17 days against the amendment to the Public Procurement Bill which enables the government to make purchases without going to tender. This in effect, would lead to giving energy company AKSA the monopoly. Meanwhile, the country has endured power cuts during the strike.
On Friday, El-Sen met with the main opposition Republican Turkish Party (CTP). Together, they formulated a joint agreement in front of the Teknecik power plant, titled ‘Common Vision in Energy’.
President of El-Sen Caglayan Cesurer said, “We demand the withdrawal of the bill. If it is not withdrawn, we will seek our rights in the Constitutional Court“.
He also noted that El-Sen employees would be on site to deal with any malfunctions at Teknecik.
Common Vision in Energy
The text of the “Common Vision in Energy” was issued in a press release as follows:
- Making the necessary investments in Kib-Tek, authorising maintenance and repairs, creating a strategic energy plan immediately with the participation of the stakeholders, the chambers, the relevant union economic organisations and scientists related to the implementation of an environmentally friendly energy policy with supply security that will reduce energy costs.
- It is unacceptable to sign a contract with any private company that mortgages our future, without the country’s energy strategy plan being prepared within the above framework.
- If a step is taken in this direction, we declare that we will act as all signatory organisations.
- This text is open for signature by all organisations that wish to participate within the framework of this vision.
Signatory organisations are the Cyprus Turkish Electricity Authority Employees Union, the Cyprus Turkish Chamber of Commerce, the Cyprus Turkish Contractors Association, the Cyprus Turkish Chamber of Industry, the Cyprus Turkish Chamber of Tradesmen and Craftsmen, the Cyprus Turkish Trade Unions Federation, the Revolutionary Workers’ Unions Federation, the Cyprus Turkish Teachers’ Union, the Turkish Cypriot Public Servants Union, Cyprus Turkish Secondary Education Teachers Union, Cyprus Turkish Public Servants Union, Public Workers Union, Municipal Workers Union, Cooperative Employees Union, Union of Cyprus Turkish Engineers and Architects Chambers, Cyprus Turkish Bar Associations, KT Physicians Union and Cyprus Turkish Medical Association.
