Resistance of workers and labourers in Tuzla
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While the struggle of the working class grows on the basis of the discussions period on labour agreements in Turkey and Northern Kurdistan, the workers of the shipyards of Tuzla raise the slogan “Enough!” concerning the work related murders.* Lead by the trade union Limter-Is the shipyards workers went on the streets to demand safe working conditions at the shipyards as 5 workers lost their life within two weeks. At the same time, police attacks with the aim to realise housing demolitions in the quarter Sifa of Tuzla and the resistance against the attacks played an important role for the opportunity to realise a united resistance against the deaths at the shipyards and against the demolitions in the region. Resistance for the right of life at the shipyards On August 21 Cabbar Ongun, worker of the Gimsa outsourcing firm affiliated to Torgem; on August 23 Guney Akarsu, who worked for the Bora Denizcilik outsourcing firm affiliated to the shipyard Sela; on August 31 Dengiz Tatli, worker of the outsourcing firm Umut Gemi; on September 1 Kenan Kara, worker of the outsourcing firm Derya Denizcilik affiliated to the shipyard Tuzla and on September 3 Bekir Ozmen, worker of the outsourcing firm Emre Gemi affiliated to Desan shipyard, lost their lives. 40,000 workers work at the shipyards of Tuzla where not even simple precautions are taken to guarantee safe working conditions, very long working hours lead to a lack of concentration and work related accidents and the workers are not provided with health care or able to see a doctor at the workplace. At Tuzla, there are in total 150 shipyards of whom 37 are bigger shipyards and the majority of the workers are neither registered and nor do they have any relation to trade unions there. The shipyards are those places where working without any relation to trade unions and without health insurance reach the peak. As a direct result of these working conditions 68 workers lost their life in the last 15 years. The trade union Limter-Is, that follows the struggle line of class trade unionism and is a revolutionary trade union, is organised in some shipyards where any resistance and demand for the rights of the workers are attacked brutally by the bosses, state and civil fascists. Particularly any initiatives to become involved in the trade union must face a strong collaboration of all bosses that are organised at GISBIR (Turkish Shipbuilders` Association). If necessary, through financial and material way it is tried to convince the bosses at whose work places there are resistances developing not to cooperate with the trade union. The reason is that the ship bosses know that the smallest spark of organisation and resistance at the shipyards could spread out easily. At the elections on July 22, GISBIR sent two of its members to parliament. Shipyard boss Ali Torlak became a deputy of the fascist MHP while Mehmet Ali Yardimci became a deputy of the government party AKP . However, Torlak continued to represent the shipyard bosses by giving the following statement on the workers` death: “This was an accident. This could also have happened because of the workers not paying enough attention. It is hot. Even if tell them “Put your cap and your gloves on”, it is possible that the workers just don’t do it.” The shipyard workers organised actions to protest against the accidents that had happened in the last two weeks. Lead by their trade union Limter-Is the workers went on the streets and were supported by a large number of trade unions, including Deri-Is organised also in Tuzla and different revolutionary and democratic organisations. Besides the demands for safe working conditions, the right of membership at trade unions and health insurance, the workers also demand the foundation of a Council for Research and Watching concerning the work related deaths in which trade unions and different professional organisations participate. The struggle of the shipyard workers against the work related deaths is nothing new. The trade union Limter-Is organised actions until last year which were against the “murders” at work. During the actions that the trade union organised in 2005 under the motto “It is enough!” thousands of workers occupied the streets and marched towards Torgem shipyard where work related deaths had happened. After the increasing number of accidents in the last weeks the trade union has tried to convey conscious to the workers and organise actions. Revolt against demolitions of houses in the labourers` districts While protests continue against the death of five workers that happened one after another, resistances also increased against the demolition of houses in the labourers` districts in Tuzla. First of all on September 4 the people of the quarter chased the troops responsible for realising the demolition out of the quarter Mimar Sinan in Tuzla by showing resistance on the streets. However, on September 12 at 5am, the troops came back accompanied by the police. When the people of the quarter heard of the demolition, they immediately went on the streets to defend their right on housing. The police used gas bombs against the labourers resisting and shot at the people. The clashes lasted for more than 10 hours and during this time the people built barricades everywhere around the quarter and occupied the motorway E-5 for more than one hour. During the clashes 58 labourers have been arrested and 8 of them imprisoned. Opportunities for a united resistance These struggles that have developed in Tuzla from two different points show how possible a united strike and resistance developing at the shipyards and leather factories, the work places, and in the quarters, the living areas, are. The state is also totally aware of this important opportunity. This is why it blocked the 2 km long street from the shipyards to the quarter on the day when the Sifa quarter in Tuzla was attacked. Nowadays from the point of view of the labourers it is difficult to say that a relation between the quarter and the shipyards has been created. At the moment there is the struggle against the demolitions in the quarters as well as the struggle at the shipyards against work related deaths, outsourcing and the fight for organisation within a trade union which are developing separately from each other. The lack of an organisation is the biggest disadvantage of the quarters` population. However the level of exploitation at the shipyards and the demolition are the result of the neo-liberal policies of the capital. To fight these attacks back is only possible when the struggles organised separately against capital and its state at the shipyards and the leather factories as well as in the quarters will be united. The communists will continue with their initiative and efforts. The discussion on labour agreements in different work areas that got stuck as well as the trade unions that have not organised any crucial actions put again the question on the agenda “Where should the working class start?”. Socialist, revolutionary and progressive trade unionists have started to discuss this question. It is known that the determined stance of the trade union Hava-Is of the area aviation were important. If the basis will be informed on the discussions lead and the common practical struggle will be developed without losing more time, then the way for struggle of the working class will be paved, too. * The workers call the „accidents“ that lead to death because of no precautions taken worker murders.

 

 

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Resistance of workers and labourers in Tuzla
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While the struggle of the working class grows on the basis of the discussions period on labour agreements in Turkey and Northern Kurdistan, the workers of the shipyards of Tuzla raise the slogan “Enough!” concerning the work related murders.* Lead by the trade union Limter-Is the shipyards workers went on the streets to demand safe working conditions at the shipyards as 5 workers lost their life within two weeks. At the same time, police attacks with the aim to realise housing demolitions in the quarter Sifa of Tuzla and the resistance against the attacks played an important role for the opportunity to realise a united resistance against the deaths at the shipyards and against the demolitions in the region. Resistance for the right of life at the shipyards On August 21 Cabbar Ongun, worker of the Gimsa outsourcing firm affiliated to Torgem; on August 23 Guney Akarsu, who worked for the Bora Denizcilik outsourcing firm affiliated to the shipyard Sela; on August 31 Dengiz Tatli, worker of the outsourcing firm Umut Gemi; on September 1 Kenan Kara, worker of the outsourcing firm Derya Denizcilik affiliated to the shipyard Tuzla and on September 3 Bekir Ozmen, worker of the outsourcing firm Emre Gemi affiliated to Desan shipyard, lost their lives. 40,000 workers work at the shipyards of Tuzla where not even simple precautions are taken to guarantee safe working conditions, very long working hours lead to a lack of concentration and work related accidents and the workers are not provided with health care or able to see a doctor at the workplace. At Tuzla, there are in total 150 shipyards of whom 37 are bigger shipyards and the majority of the workers are neither registered and nor do they have any relation to trade unions there. The shipyards are those places where working without any relation to trade unions and without health insurance reach the peak. As a direct result of these working conditions 68 workers lost their life in the last 15 years. The trade union Limter-Is, that follows the struggle line of class trade unionism and is a revolutionary trade union, is organised in some shipyards where any resistance and demand for the rights of the workers are attacked brutally by the bosses, state and civil fascists. Particularly any initiatives to become involved in the trade union must face a strong collaboration of all bosses that are organised at GISBIR (Turkish Shipbuilders` Association). If necessary, through financial and material way it is tried to convince the bosses at whose work places there are resistances developing not to cooperate with the trade union. The reason is that the ship bosses know that the smallest spark of organisation and resistance at the shipyards could spread out easily. At the elections on July 22, GISBIR sent two of its members to parliament. Shipyard boss Ali Torlak became a deputy of the fascist MHP while Mehmet Ali Yardimci became a deputy of the government party AKP . However, Torlak continued to represent the shipyard bosses by giving the following statement on the workers` death: “This was an accident. This could also have happened because of the workers not paying enough attention. It is hot. Even if tell them “Put your cap and your gloves on”, it is possible that the workers just don’t do it.” The shipyard workers organised actions to protest against the accidents that had happened in the last two weeks. Lead by their trade union Limter-Is the workers went on the streets and were supported by a large number of trade unions, including Deri-Is organised also in Tuzla and different revolutionary and democratic organisations. Besides the demands for safe working conditions, the right of membership at trade unions and health insurance, the workers also demand the foundation of a Council for Research and Watching concerning the work related deaths in which trade unions and different professional organisations participate. The struggle of the shipyard workers against the work related deaths is nothing new. The trade union Limter-Is organised actions until last year which were against the “murders” at work. During the actions that the trade union organised in 2005 under the motto “It is enough!” thousands of workers occupied the streets and marched towards Torgem shipyard where work related deaths had happened. After the increasing number of accidents in the last weeks the trade union has tried to convey conscious to the workers and organise actions. Revolt against demolitions of houses in the labourers` districts While protests continue against the death of five workers that happened one after another, resistances also increased against the demolition of houses in the labourers` districts in Tuzla. First of all on September 4 the people of the quarter chased the troops responsible for realising the demolition out of the quarter Mimar Sinan in Tuzla by showing resistance on the streets. However, on September 12 at 5am, the troops came back accompanied by the police. When the people of the quarter heard of the demolition, they immediately went on the streets to defend their right on housing. The police used gas bombs against the labourers resisting and shot at the people. The clashes lasted for more than 10 hours and during this time the people built barricades everywhere around the quarter and occupied the motorway E-5 for more than one hour. During the clashes 58 labourers have been arrested and 8 of them imprisoned. Opportunities for a united resistance These struggles that have developed in Tuzla from two different points show how possible a united strike and resistance developing at the shipyards and leather factories, the work places, and in the quarters, the living areas, are. The state is also totally aware of this important opportunity. This is why it blocked the 2 km long street from the shipyards to the quarter on the day when the Sifa quarter in Tuzla was attacked. Nowadays from the point of view of the labourers it is difficult to say that a relation between the quarter and the shipyards has been created. At the moment there is the struggle against the demolitions in the quarters as well as the struggle at the shipyards against work related deaths, outsourcing and the fight for organisation within a trade union which are developing separately from each other. The lack of an organisation is the biggest disadvantage of the quarters` population. However the level of exploitation at the shipyards and the demolition are the result of the neo-liberal policies of the capital. To fight these attacks back is only possible when the struggles organised separately against capital and its state at the shipyards and the leather factories as well as in the quarters will be united. The communists will continue with their initiative and efforts. The discussion on labour agreements in different work areas that got stuck as well as the trade unions that have not organised any crucial actions put again the question on the agenda “Where should the working class start?”. Socialist, revolutionary and progressive trade unionists have started to discuss this question. It is known that the determined stance of the trade union Hava-Is of the area aviation were important. If the basis will be informed on the discussions lead and the common practical struggle will be developed without losing more time, then the way for struggle of the working class will be paved, too. * The workers call the „accidents“ that lead to death because of no precautions taken worker murders.