Turkish union confederation head resigns

ANKARA

Mustafa Kumlu has been the chair of the confederation since 2007. Courtesy of Türk-İş

The chairman of Türk-İş, one of Turkey’s largest union confederations, has resigned today due to ongoing unrest among the managing ranks of the union.

“The importance I attach [to interests of the institution] makes me feel that the biggest responsibility in overcoming the problems in the management board is mine,” the resigning chair Mustafa Kumlu said yesterday.

In the statement he released, Kumlu said the unrest aroused after the 2011 General Board Assembly had reached an irresolvable point in the meantime and had begun to damage Türk-İş.

The outgoing chair has been criticized on the grounds that he had put up little resistance against government policies curbing labor rights.

Kumlu, who has been the chair of the confederation since 2007, will submit his resignation to the board at 4 p.m. today.

The board will first invite a substitute member to the board, who is expected to be Koop-İş Union Chairman Eyüp Alemdar, and will then elect the new chairman.

The sources close to the confederation are taking General Secretary Ergün Atalay’s chairmanship as granted, daily Hürriyet reported.

The next general assembly of the institution will be in December 2015 and the member to be elected will head the confederation until then.

Kumlu was elected as the chair at the 2007 and 2011 General Assemblies, after working as General Financial Secretary between 1999 and 2003 and as General Secretary between 2003 and 2007.