Shipyard Workers Go on Strike in Turkey to Stop Workplace Deaths

national | worker & community struggles and protests | news report

Thursday June 05, 2008 03:48

by Sevinc Karaca - Workers Solidarity Movement-Cork

nazire.sevinc at gmail dot com

82 Deaths in five years the National Shipyard in Istanbul, Turkey

National Shipyard Workers go on strike on 16th of June to stop workplace deaths in Tuzla, near Istanbul in Turkey. There had been 11 deaths since the Minister of Employment and Social Security promised the issue was going to be "handled" by the ministry and the workers would be listened to on 8th of September last and 82 in total in the last 5 years since the jobs were handed over to the subcontractors as part of government's privatization programme.

Shipyard Workers Protest in Turkey to Stop Workplace Deaths

Limter-Is, the main union on the site, and the Shipyard Workers' Council called for an open ended national strike to stop work place deaths in the shipyards due to the lack of safety equipment and reckless and arrogant disregard to safety regulations which is shown by the shipyard management, subcontractors and the Ministry authorities. The workers went on a two days strike action end of February after 5 deaths in that month alone. The fascist religious government and the national media remained silent on the deaths until they were confronted with further organized action, protest by the families of the deceased workers and huge national and international support. 70 workers were arrested and one worker was run over by a car belonging to one of the subcontractors in February. The police not only arrested the workers, they also confiscated the tent, banners and publications belonging to the union and workers and arrested union officials.

The “not so media savvy” representatives of the subcontractors, who are responsible for these deaths, placed the blame on workers with idiotic conspiracy theories. The government backed right wing union appeared on the site after years of silence on the deaths to distribute membership forms and sat at the meeting with the minister, Limter-Is, the Workers' Council and the representatives of the Association of Shipyard Subcontractors, a shady unheard group.

Workers in Turkey face tremendous pressure to make demands for basic workers' rights such as workplace safety, job security and better pay for a minimum standard of living. They face arrests and lenghty sentences for "public disorder", lock-outs and losing their jobs. The shipyard workers are taking this action to stop deaths face death themselves.

There seems to be two main organizers on site; Limter-Is and the Workers Council. Limter-Is the shipyard workers' union of the National Confederation of Revolutionary Workers Union, DISK ( just in the name lately) a relatively lefty confederation with traditionally radical elements such as the Limter-IS and print workers union and so on. Although the website displays healthy amount of revolutionary politics, it is not too clear who the Workers' Council represent, the non-union members or if it is an alternative union.

For messages of support and solidarity, fundraise events for the families of the killed workers and the workers who are going on strike on the 16th of june contact disk@disk.org.tr, limteris@gmail.com and posta@tersaneiscikurulu.org (The Council). Please spread the word. Author of this piece will be happy to translate messages for the workers (max. 200 words please, she is swamped!)

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Comments (4 of 4)

Support for the strikers

by Anne Maloney

Thu Jun 05, 2008 11:28

These are brave men to carry out anti state actions in a land full of lovely people but a very heavy handed laws and state control. If Turkey is to join the EU then then it will take men such as these being successful and changing the way things are done over there.

Message from the Free Trade Union of Iranian Workers to the Turkish Syndicate of Transport workers

by pat c

Sat Jun 07, 2008 13:53

Iranian workers extend soldiarity to their comrades in struggle. The workers stuggle is International

Message of congratulation by the Free Trade Union of Iranian Workers to the Turkish Syndicate of Transport workers TÜMTIS

With warm greetings

Dear Friends

We became aware that your members of your syndicate who had been arrested in May Day celebrations , were tried today and released with no charge. This news brings great pleasure to us , Iranian workers. We consider the release of these colleagues a victory for the Turkish working class and we congratulate you whole heartedly .

We take this opportunity to inform you that two of our colleagues , Javanmir Moradi and Taha Azadi , members of our union's executive committee , who were also arrested in May Day celebrations , have been in prison for 36 days . These friends have faced severe physical pressure during their imprisonment. From our point of view , celebrating May Day is an absolute right of workers throughout the world and we, in the Free Trade Union of Iranian workers will not give an inch on the issue of this basic human right.

Long Live May Day

Long Live International Solidarity

Free Trade Union of Iranian Workers

k.ekhragi@gmail.com

Academics issue support for Tuzla strike

Mon Jun 16, 2008 19:46

Here is a report on the growing support for the strikers. Full text at link.

Academics from various universities have declared their support for today's strike at the Tuzla Shipyards. The Limter-İş trade union, composed primarily of subcontract workers, has called for a strike today to protest the high number of workplace deaths at the yard. Since 1985, a total of 98 workers died at the shipyards.

Chairpersons and academics at the labor economics and industrial relations departments of nine universities issued a declaration criticizing the deaths at Tuzla, reported Radikal newspaper yesterday. A total of 110 academics, from Ankara, Dokuz Eylül, Kocaeli, Sakarya, Uludağ, Gazi, Muğla, Pamukkale and 18 Mart universities, signed the declaration, saying the deaths and injuries cannot be termed accidents anymore.

Meanwhile, a total of 405 intellectuals, including lawmakers from the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP), Professor Baskın Oran, Gencay Gürsoy and İsmail Beşikçi, signed a declaration, expressing their support for the strike. The declaration was made public Saturday at a press meeting in Istanbul, Radikal said.

Writer Necati Abay stated:Workers who wage a struggle for better working conditions find themselves up against the police and military, Abay claimed, adding that supporting the strike is a duty of all those who do not support serial killers.

Cops act to undermine Tuzla shipyards strike over worker deaths

Wed Jun 18, 2008 17:35

The police acted against the workers again today but this did not stop solidarity action. Full text at link.

Among the thousand people who joined the strike were the feminists, the Patriotic Front, Ufuk Uras, İstanbul deputy of the Freedom and Solidarity Party (ÖDP), the Socialist Democracy Party (SDP), the Labor Party (EMEP), Lambdaistanbul, the Socialist Platform for the Oppressed (ESP), the United Metal Workers Union.

Kamber Saygılı, the secretary-general of Limter İş, stated, “We are here to live as human beings, we thank everyone who supports us. The strike has become an obligation now. Nothing has been done to stop the deaths.”

Ufuk Uras said, “Seeing that the workers’ death has become such a common occurrence, it becomes clear that the ruling party’s (AKP) idea of let the weaker disappear is behind this. Solidarity is very important. By hanging together, we can end the rule of the thieves.”

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Shipyard Workers Go on Strike in Turkey to Stop Workplace Deaths

Comments (4 of 4)