Turkish Cypriots protest over law to consolidate ‘municipalities’ (Update 1)

Turkish Cypriot trade unionists were demonstrating on Wednesday morning over the law pushed by the ‘government’ to consolidate ‘municipalities’

According Kibris Postasi, ‘municipality’ staffers were mobilising to protest “the (special) draft law for the consolidation of the municipalities” that will be on the agenda of Wednesday’s ‘parliamentary’ extraordinary session.

A group of workers was also arrested it emerged later.

“Employees of the Karpasia municipality were arrested while on their way to participate in the mobilisation,” trade union president Mustafa Yalinkaya told Kipris Postasi.

“They play with our nerves, we will keep disturbing them more,” he added.

In the morning, the protesters blocked the road leading to the ‘parliament’ with their vehicles.

It was announced earlier that the federation of revolutionary trade unions, the municipal workers union and the Famagusta Turk Genel-IS would hold a general warning strike in front of the ‘parliamentary’ building, demanding that “the (special) draft law for the consolidation of municipalities be withdrawn by the committee and be put under renewed negotiations.”

According to Yalinkaya the new ‘law’ is ‘unconstitutional’ and “the government should withdraw the bill and take a step back.”