Turkish civil servants stage nationwide strike

ISTANBUL, Nov. 25 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of thousands of civil servants across Turkey are staging a nationwide strike on Wednesday to demand higher wages.

The protests by civil servants have affected public transportation, shut down post offices and forced hospitals to take emergency cases only.

Protesters clash with riot police during a demonstration in support  of the striking civil servants in Ankara, November 25, 2009. Several  Turkish civil servant unions took part in a one-day strike on Wednesday  for better wage and working conditions.REUTERS/Stringer

Salim Uslu, president of the Confederation of Public Sector Trade Unions (CPSTU), said the government should amend labor laws in line with the standards of the International Labor Organization.

Uslu said there is support for the strike in major cities such as Istanbul, Izmir, Ankara, Eskisehir and Diyarbakir. In these cities main line commuter trains will not work.

He said, "We hope citizens will show understanding for our actions. Ultimately, the strike is intended to enable us to provide better services for them."

Local analysts said the strike by the public workers would be one of the biggest in recent decades and would cause delays in civil services.

After failing to compromise on their union rights during the collective bargaining talks with the government in August, the public servants' unions announced they would stage a one-day nationwide strike on Nov. 25 to protest the government's lack of response to the social and economic demands of public sector workers.

The decision has sparked tension between unions and the government.

The tension turned into a battle of words on Monday as Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the strike was illegal and that a consensus should be achieved at the negotiating table.

Erdogan warned that the strikers would have to face the consequences of their actions if they insist on striking.