YDÜ/ACTIONS
COMEDY...
Let’s do something different today.
Today, let’s set our interests aside and call wrong wrong and right right.
Today, let’s ask ourselves sincere questions and give sincere answers.
At least let’s try!
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A news report published by TAK on November 20, 2006: “The Public Workers’ Union held a demonstration against the Public Officials (Amendment) Law, which stipulates that those employed as workers in the public sector cannot serve as civil servants and that retired people cannot be employed in the public sector, and which is still awaiting the President’s approval. About 700 people gathered this morning at the Kamu-İş headquarters and marched to the Republic Assembly. Among those supporting Kamu-İş’s demonstration were officials from the Cyprus Turkish Secondary Education Teachers’ Union.”
Let’s set this report aside for now and move on to the questions...
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Aren’t you the ones who say there’s no longer anywhere to sit because there are too many civil servants in government departments?
Aren’t you the ones who complain that everyone has been made a civil servant?
Aren’t you the ones worried about our young people’s future because of unemployment?
Aren’t you the ones calling for EU standards?
Aren’t you the ones constantly blaming someone for the failings of the system?
Aren’t you the ones who .................................................... (I’ll leave this space to you; you can list the problems that come to mind....)
If your answer to these questions is no—if “you aren’t”—then there’s no problem! In that case, either you don’t live in this country, or you are one of those who benefit from this situation.
But if these problems are yours too, then why these demonstrations?
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According to another report carried by the news agencies yesterday, the Public Workers’ Union, arguing that the Public Officials (Amendment) Law “marks the beginning of an attack on workers’ rights,” held a “seminar to inform workers about working life in Northern Cyprus.”
Frankly, I watch these events with amazement.
All right, the idea of an information seminar is a good one.
But I fail to understand how a law that argues workers should not serve as civil servants amounts to an attack on workers’ rights.
Why should people whose official positions are classified as “worker” be “civil servants”?
Why do people who have “retired” from public institutions continue to “work” in the public sector?
What does it mean to want the continuation of a wrongful practice that has been followed to this day?
Do you realize what we’re debating?
It’s a complete comedy in every respect.
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Meanwhile, “officials from the Cyprus Turkish Secondary Education Teachers’ Union” supported the demonstration.
Frankly, they disappointed me(!)
Is that what support looks like?
I would have expected the officials of this esteemed union to call a “strike to stop education.”
I’m deeply disappointed; don’t even ask...
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SMS SERVICE...
Yesterday, I was at the press conference held at the YDÜ Grand Library.
We learned how far the library has come in a year.
You will have followed the details in the press.
What struck me was how little interest the public shows in such a wonderful library.
So far, 470 people have joined the library.
People come from all over the world to see this magnificent library. But my people are so indifferent that they aren’t even aware that, alongside more than 500,000 traditional printed resources, over 52 million electronic resources are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, right on their doorstep!
Still, this low number has not stopped the library’s management from introducing new initiatives.
Taking the public’s habits into account, the YDÜ Grand Library is launching a new service. Here’s how it works: say you’re a member and you’ve borrowed a book, but you need more time to read or use it. You don’t need to go online or visit the library. You can extend the loan period by sending an SMS from your mobile phone.
So now all you have to do is join the library.