Turks Strike Over Rising Shipyard Deaths

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Turkish workers in Tuzla’s dangerous shipyards are protesting to save their lives. The Port, Shipyard, Ship Construction and Repair Workers Trade Union (Limter Is) called a one-day strike June 16 to protest the deaths of two shipyard workers on the job. Twenty-five workers have died in Tuzla in the past year in work-related accidents. Despite the high death toll, the government has only formed a commission to investigate safety standards and step up inspections of the shipyards.

The union struck for 48 hours in February over the same issues and faced repression from police and shipyard owners. Police beat protesters and took 75 union leaders and others into custody, but could not break the strike.

The union raised a dramatic slogan for its June strike: “Rather than dying one by one, kill us all on June 16.” Nearly 1,000 workers and supporters rallied in support of the union’s demands. Police prevented additional protesters and strikers from joining the rally by guarding the buses that brought workers to the shipyards.

Under Turkish law, both the February strike and the June strike are illegal, since the union cannot claim collective bargaining authority in Tuzla. Wide-scale subcontracting—300 subcontracted companies work in almost 50 shipyards in Tuzla—currently allows employers to deny both union representation and workers’ grievances.

Limter Is demands that the Turkish Shipbuilders Association (GISBIR) recognize the workers’ right to collectively bargain and end the subcontracting system that breeds deteriorating safety conditions.

Email messages of solidarity to shipyard workers at or . Pressure the Turkish government and the shipyard bosses to improve working conditions by contacting of the Labour Ministry or of GISBIR.