‘We Worked During Curfew as Well; It is a Construction Work, is it Really Urgent?’

* Photo: From a construction site in Sancaktepe, İstanbul

Click to read the article in Turkish

"On the construction of Niğde-Ankara Highway, there are around 40 subcontracting firms and around 4 thousand 200 workers in total. Everyone is equally concerned. They have to come here, risking death. They do not have any guarantee, they are really afraid of unemployment.

"The ERG Construction and subcontracting firms have around 2 thousand 500 workers accommodated and the rest is taken with service vehicles in the morning and in the evening. Conditions are hard, the mechanism of dismissal starts working in the event of a tiniest resistance or objection. That is why, workers are forced to do what they are requested."

Highway workers continue working during the weekend curfews as well. Speaking to bianet, one worker has talked about both their working conditions "under normal circumstances" and what they are experiencing now amid novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

The construction works on the Ankara-Niğde highway did not stop during the curfew. Workers are afraid of catching the disease, but as they are more afraid of losing their jobs, they are still working despite all risks.

'We asked for a mask, they didn't even give this'

The worker speaking to bianet says that keeping their "social distance" is not possible at the constrcution site and even though they asked for a mask to use there, they could not even receive it:

"Our working conditions are already hard, sometimes we cannot take a break for lunch. When it is heard on social media that there are positive cases at the construction site, a disinfectant is left at the dining hall and that was all. A single disinfectant at the entrance of a dining hall to be used by hundreds of people in the morning and in the evening...

"In the beginning of the process, they took the temperatures of everyone, but it was just for show. It was done while the death toll and the number of cases were not that high. I am saying that it was for show because occupational safety experts walked around the site and took the temperatures of the ones that they encountered on the way.

"As the number of deaths started increasing, some subcontracting firms tried to isolate their construction sites from the outside world, they gathered their all workers to be accommodated at the construction site, but they abandoned this method a few days later, I don't know why.

"As for the ERG Construction company, it was occupied with collecting the signatures for the occupational safety trainings that were not given. They put papers before us in the field, in the dining hall and asked us to sign them. Workers signed these papers as they didn't have another choice.

According to those papers, an occupational training was given to workers for 17-18 hours. When we asked them the reason for this, we were told that safety trainings would be given in the field section by section, but not even a single minute of training has been given.

"We have heard that there are positive cases at the center of the firm, at its construction site in the 13th kilometer, as well as in its subcontracting firms in the 50th and 90th kilometers. In fact, we know that the site in the 90th kilometer has been completely closed.In a place where there are so many cases, the work has still not halted."

'We worked during curfew, spent the night at dormitory'

Could they halt work during the weekend curfew?

No. As a matter of fact, as they could not leave the construction site for their homes, they had to spend the night at the sleeping quarters there:

"In the first week when the curfew was imposed, we spent the two days at home as they could not do the necessary arrangements in time. And these two days were cut off from our leaves and daily wages.

"In the second week, we worked. We were not allowed to go home at the weekend. As we could not return home, we stayed in the dormitory.

"We were locked up in the construction site. We are building a road here, we are planting trees. Is it really urgent? Is it really necessary? Who will use the road under these circumstances?"

'They eat in the field with dusty hands'

What about their working conditions?

"Asphalt spreading teams eat in the field with their dusty greasy hands amid all this dust and dirt. They left the disinfectants at the entrance to the dining hall, but the rest eat even without being able to wash their hands. They put their bread on their lap so that it will not be contaminated with soil.

"The dormitories of subcontracted workers are like a sty. Especially when there is a curfew and people gather at the construction site to stay the night there, people have to sleep in ward for 6-7-8 people. Workers are deemed worthy of the worst quality, even of the liquid soap. If we washed up with soil, it would be more hygienic and healthy.

"Sometimes, 50-60 workers eat at the same time in dining halls, five-six people sit on four-people tables. 15-16 people use the service vehicles at the same time. Those doing tree works are mostly women workers and they do not even have water to drink. They bring it with them."

ERG: Intentional, deliberate, biased and unreal

Highway workers are working for the subcontractor and subcontracting companies for the ERG Construction firm.

After the complaints of workers were heard on social media, the ERG released a written statement and stated that these allegations "were intentional, deliberate, biased and unreal and aimed to wear away the institution." The firm has also said that it would take a legal action:

"At the Ankara-Niğde Highway Project, the recommendations of our Dear President, Health Minister and Sciences Board and all measures indicated in the 'Measures to be Taken at Workplaces against Coronavirus (COVID-19)' charter of our Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Services are observed. Our firm has taken all measures within this framework and continues to do so. Related inspections are constantly carried out and followed in our all highway construction sites."

The 'option' of unpaid leave

Progressive Construction Workers (Dev Yapı-İş) Union affiliated with the Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey (DİSK) also released a statement entitled "There cannot be such a measure!"

"A curfew is declared and some places that do not have an obligation to work are given special permissions. The ERG Construction firm undertaking the construction of Ankara-Niğde Highway continues working with the special permission of the Ankara Governor's Office."

The firm has released a statement in response to the union's remarks and stated that they have received permission to work during the curfew.

"Our works are conducted within the frame of Article 2 of the 'Curfew Circular' regarding the 'Workplaces, Businesses and Institutions to Remain Open,' the company has said and added, "It applies to not only to the ERG Construction highway project, but to all projects whose workers are accommodated at the construction site." The firm has noted that all necessary measures are taken.

The worker speaking to bianet says that workers were offered the "option" of unpaid leave in this process:

"We are told that if we want to leave, we are free to do so. We can, of course, leave. We would rather starve to death than endure so many insults. But we have families, we are not responsible only for ourselves." (AS/SD)