An application will be made to the Constitutional Court on Monday to annul the government decision to take a percentage of salaries to aid the Turkish earthquake victims, Secretary-General of the Cyprus Turkish Teachers’ Union, Burak Maviş has said, Yeniduzen reports.
Unions and politicians have been outraged at the decision to take a portion of people’s salaries, stating that the move was unconstitutional. The decision was taken by the council of ministers without taking a vote in parliament.
“We do not trust the government. We invite all distrustful institutions, organisations and political parties to follow the same path”, Maviş said.
Making a statement to TAK news agency, Maviş said that they will seek justice before the judiciary, together with the unions, on behalf of private sector employees and tradesmen, pensioners, low-income people, salaried and wage earners and all other sectors against the unconstitutional and forced deductions in wages.
Nine unions – KTOEOS, KTOS, Basin-Sen, Koop-sen, Dev-Is, Cag-Sen, Maliye-Sen, and Guc-Sen, condemned the decision taken, saying that they would bring the matter to court.
Maviş said: “The social destruction caused by the earthquake that caused destruction and loss of life in 10 provinces in Turkey and took our children and colleagues from us has deeply affected us all”.
He went on to describe the anger at the lack of control in building construction in Turkey and called on those involved to be held accountable.
Maviş also pointed out that they had provided technological devices and supplies to the earthquake area, Maviş stated that the donation campaign continues through cooperatives.
He also pointed to the extravagance of building the new presidential palace – the Kulliye. This was being funded by Turkey at a cost of 2.497 billion Turkish Lira when the money could be better spent on improving school buildings, infrastructure and so on.
“The members of the government, who have been deaf for years and failed to show any sensitivity to the material and intellectual rights of the Turkish Cypriots, are now trying to take advantage of the pain the community is going through”, a collective union statement said.
