How Many More Shipyard Deaths?

The Shipyard Workers’ Union Association (TIB DER) announced yesterday (12 February) that yet another shipyard worker has lost his life.

After the death of Metin Turan at the Sahin steal shipyard on 4 February, there were accidents at the Sedef and Dearsan shipyards on 9 February. The workers were seriously injured and are still being treated.

Relatives looked for worker 

Cevat Toy, the latest victim, was in his 20s and from Batman in the southeast of Turkey. After lunch yesterday (12 February), his colleagues at the Dearsan shipyard told the administration that they could not contact him. According to TIB DER, the authorities said, “Don’t worry” and brushed aside the issue.

After relatives searched for him for hours, Toy was found to have fallen into a ship’s boiler room. Iron sheets had become lodged in his body. When a medical unit arrived at the site, Toy was still living. However, his heart failed later. 

Toy had been working on a repair ship called Sakarya. The TIB DER association alleges that shipyard guards tried to prevent their members from viewing the boiler room. Only after a long stand-off where they allowed in.

On Sunday (10 February), shipyard workers had organised a protest at Taksim Square to demand work safety and humane working conditions. They had also threatened with a strike.

Successful industry without workers' rights 

The Turkish shipbuilding industry has become very successful internationally, but there has been a shocking record of accidents and lives lost.
According to TIB DER, around 100 workers have died on shipyards since 1985, fifty alone since 2001.

The workers demand the following:

• Safety equipment such as hard hats, goggles, gloves, steel-toe shoes and safety belts need to be provided by the shipyard.
• Each shipyard needs an infirmary, an ambulance and an emergency doctor
• The use of grit powder, which is carcinogenic and pollutes the environment, should be banned.
• One of the main reasons for the many deaths is the subcontracting system. Everyone should have the right to permanent employment.
• Those responsible for the deaths need to be prosecuted.
• Workers need to receive regular training in health and safety issues.
• Most accidents happen during overtime; there should be an end to obligatory overtime.
• The workers demand a 35-hour week with seven hours a day.
• Workers should not be assigned to different jobs all the time; they should specialize.
• Some accidents were caused by cranes and forklifts. This kind of machinery needs to undergo regular controls.
• The shipbuilding industry should be categorised as heavy and dangerous work, thus entitling the workers to earlier retirement. (EZÖ/NZ/TK/AG)