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!)