It is evident that given the current milieu, TEKEL workers are profoundly righteous; there is no need to hum and haw. There exists the risk of a deep social disaster introduced by the global crisis. And the government does not seem to have taken conscious action to protect social peace.

The TEKEL workers issue which tries to take place on Turkey's agenda almost for two months should better be addressed upon examining the changing conditions. The issue is essentially not related with the TEKEL workers issue alone. It is related with now to address the interaction between public finance, privatization, and social policy "in the aftermaths of the global crisis." With respect to TEKEL workers in particular, the issue proves that the government is not aware of the changes and does not have a definite policy framework. So, let us first take a look at how the issue seems and then conclude: Let us see why TEKEL workers are "evidently" right and how the government, in its eighth year at power, is still amateur.

So, what is the issue? The government tries to find a solution to the existing public finance problem. Please do not believe in the "no problem, we are doing great" stories; 2008 crisis have dragged governments around the world into a bog of public finance. In fact, Turkey shines as a star among these countries. Though Turkish government did not launch a serious revival program to obviate the effects of the crisis or have to transfer funds to the banking sector, it found itself in the midst of a public finance disaster. This is for two reasons: first, as the main source of tax revenues is indirect taxes, revenue side of the budget was seriously damaged in 2009. Second, as the government acted out, steps like health and municipality reforms turned into black holes of the budget.

I believe the conclusion to be made upon these two points is evident: Turkey's public finance disaster result not directly from the global crisis but from structural problems of budget policies and wrong policy decisions. The government currently runs around in panic to find a way to fix the public finance disaster. The tax poll to be imposed on banks was an effort in this direction; so were the unforeseen tax and price raises. Panic brings about new mistakes; new mistakes bring about further panic.  TEKEL workers issue is not a deliberate policy preference of the government. It is not that the government was taking steps geared to productivity in the context of a public administration reform and put on the agenda the tobacco enterprises of TEKEL. There exists no integrated policy framework. This issue is a result of the quest manifesting itself in the concern "Oh God, the budget is disastrous. We should do something; but what?" This is the first conclusion on the government's side; and the workers do not have a direct fault in this.

And the second one: It is not that TEKEL workers upon their free will chose to be involved in the 4-C personnel. Prime Minister of Turkey is incorrect in this sense. The outlook of TEKEL privatizations is as follows: At the end of 2003, where the current government was in office, TEKEL's alcoholic beverages division was privatized and workers were given options. While some preferred to receive compensation and leave their jobs; some others were transferred to cigarette enterprises. In 2008, when TEKEL's cigarette division was privatized, BAT, who won the auction, was given the right to hire the workers he chose and the rest of the workers were transferred directly to tobacco enterprises of TEKEL. But this time, no one asked the workers what they wanted to do. By the way, give the devil his due; workers' rights were not harmer, either. Of course, except this last step: Now, they tell the workers that the tobacco processing facilities of TEKEL are being closed. This is how the loss of the vested interests of almost twelve thousand organized workers comes about. This is the second point to keep in mind.

And a third one: The social damage the global financial crisis gave way to throughout the world is the top agenda item today. In such a milieu, the role of the public sector in social policy design comes to the fore. Now, things are different. It is time to discover the public policies that will facilitate healthy functioning of the market mechanism. Let us say that the current government deliberately seeks to close down unproductive public enterprises upon the belief that resources are wasted. Using the old-fashioned methods to do this and saying "I made this way, and it fits" reads being unaware of the change. It is also incorrect to name this "privatization". The government on the one hand tries to provide training for unemployed the number of which rises along with the crisis in order to develop new skills and even introduces regulations to pay them. Though the plans are not efficiently materialized or steps to define systematically the needs of private sector are not taken, this is a favorable approach. Nonetheless the government on the other hand has to develop a policy to provide new skills or new carrier opportunities for the personnel in unproductive public enterprises planned to be shut down. But it has not. In the case at hand, the government appears to have forgotten the fact that the 'win-win' solutions Prime Minister once kept on saying basically requires the establishment of consensus. Negotiations cannot be held with the attitude "we are correct, but we came to negotiate with you anyway." And this is the third point.

It's time for coming up with solutions; not creating new problems. TEKEL workers issue emphasizes one point: Turkish government still acts like an amateur.

This commentary was published in Referans daily on 09.02.2010