"We Didn't Let Our Union Be Divided, the Exporter Came Out the Winner"

Plans to find new positions for union heads whose eight-year terms were ending by dividing exporter unions have fallen through. The Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM) announced it was abandoning draft work on dividing exporter unions. In statements on the matter, PAGEV Chairman Yavuz Eroğlu said, "With the support of our Ministry of Economy and our sector representatives listening to our voice, we have corrected this mistake." In preparations for elections at exporter unions in 2018, draft work aimed at increasing the number of sectors from 26 to 42 and thereby finding new positions for heads who had completed two terms was cancelled. The TİM General Secretariat announced that the draft work had been cancelled, commenting on discussions regarding the division of exporter unions. PAGEV, which opposed the division work from the outset, had argued before the April 2018 elections at exporter unions that dividing sectors by changing the structure of exporter unions would harm exporters. Following TİM's announcement of a step back, PAGEV Chairman Yavuz Eroğlu stated: "We are pleased that this mistake has been corrected following reactions to the division. Had the 'Division Plan,' which we summarized as 'Divide-Fragment-Become Chairman Again' at exporter unions, been implemented, deductions from exporters would have increased and structures fragmented into small pieces and turned into small unions would have weakened and lost effectiveness. For this reason we opposed the 'Division Plan' and recent developments have proven us right," he said. Noting that according to the Exporters Unions Law, union heads can serve a maximum of two terms, namely eight years, Eroğlu highlighted that some heads whose terms had ended wanted to implement the 'Union Division Plan' to create a structure that would provide them with new positions, and stated: "We called on 67,000 exporters to oppose the 'Division Plan,' informing the public. We stood against the implementation of the draft work we summarized as 'Divide-Fragment-Become Chairman.' Indeed, we received support in our justified struggle against the division of exporter unions, and following reactions, TİM announced it was abandoning draft work on dividing exporter unions."