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The Increasing Relevance of the Working Class: Global Movements and the Case of Turkey

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Neoliberalism and the Changing Face of Unionism

Abstract

The frictions between EĞİTİM-SEN (a KESK affiliate) and EĞİTİM-İŞ are exemplary of the ways in which the over-articulation of identity politics can lead to the fragmentation of unions. As Hüseyin Tosu of EĞİTİM-SEN asserts, “EĞİT-SEN [Eğitim ve Bilim Emekçileri Sendikası, or Education and Science Workers Union, a predecessor of EĞİTİM-SEN] was a union formed by leftists, socialists, and Kurdish patriots from the very first day it was organized, whereas EĞİTİM-İŞ was represented mostly by social-democrat, leftward civic nationalists [ulusalcılar in Turkish]” (Interview with Hüseyin Tosu). In Tosu’s words, the main focus of EĞİTİM-SEN on the Kurdish question has been the struggle for the “co-existence of differences, different colours, different languages, and different cultures in the name of a scientific, democratic education in one’s own vernacular language.” Therefore, for the most part cultural rather than mere class grievances were considered when organizing EĞİTİM-SEN.

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  1. Simon Fraser University, Port Moody, British Columbia, Canada

    Efe Can Gürcan

  2. Maltepe University, Istanbul, Turkey

    Berk Mete

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Gürcan, E.C., Mete, B. (2017). The Increasing Relevance of the Working Class: Global Movements and the Case of Turkey. In: Neoliberalism and the Changing Face of Unionism. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-48284-2_1

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