25/06/2008
More than 5,000 supporters joined 300 striking shipyard workers in a 16 June protest in Turkey's Tuzla shipyards. The high profile action, which was in response to horrific rates of work-related deaths and injuries, led within days to safety commitments from the Turkish Prime Minister. In Tuzla, 21 workers were killed in accidents in the last nine months. The action was organised by Limter-Is, the union representing shipbuilding workers in the yards, and had wide support from members of parliament, trade unions, artists, academics and international observers.

Cem Dinç, head of Limter-Is, told protesters "we have been fighting against irregularity, injustice and exploitation for 16 years. Employers say that workers are illiterate and unconscious. We must ask them: If we are illiterate and unconscious, how are we making these ships? Actually employers of shipyards are illiterate and unconscious. Actually employers of shipyards must be educated."

The sub-contracting system and non-compliance with safety regulations are seen as the major causes of the deaths in Tuzla. High level meetings after the action led to a commitment from Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan that there would be an urgent action plan to improve safety in Tuzla's shipyards. Worker training would be improved and the number of workplace safety inspectors would be increased, he said. Despite prompting the measures, unions were excluded from the meetings, however.

Muammer Guler, Istanbul’s governor, has ordered the closure of the Selah shipyard in the district of Tuzla on the Asian side of Turkey’s biggest city. Selah is one of almost 80 companies that build ships, boats and yachts in Tuzla’s industrial zone. Mr Guler said the company had been visited by government inspectors twice in the past six months, but failed to improve working conditions. Two workers died in accidents at the shipyard on May 9 and on May 18.

“There are risks connected to explosive materials, risks of workers falling [to their death] from great heights, risks of electrical currents,” Mr Guler said about conditions at the Selah shipyard.

Turkey, one of the most promising shipbuilding countries in the world, has the world’s fastest growth rate in the sector. Turkey’s shipbuilding exports had reached 2 billion dollars in 2007.

Source: Hürriyet, Risks, The National