‘We Work on the Same Belt, It is Impossible to Keep a Distance More Than Half a Meter’

* Photo: Anadolu Agency (AA)

Click to read the article in Turkish

Turkey has been struggling against the Covid-19 pandemic for over a month now. According to the latest figures, the number of cases in the country has increased to 69,293 and 1,518 people have lost their lives.

Like in other countries, millions of people are staying home in Turkey to prevent the further spread of the virus. However, millions of others have to go out and work everyday, in fear of catching and transmitting the disease.

Türkan, who has been working in the textile sector for 15 years, is one of those who cannot stay home in the days of coronavirus. She is 33 years old and concerned about not only her own health and well-being, but also about those of her 70-year-old parents and her nephews and nieces.

Türkan lives with her elder brother, his wife, her four nieces and nephews and her parents. They maintain the family with her elder brother, who is also working in the textile sector.

Türkan is currently working on a textile machine in a workshop making production for brands like Zara and H&M. She is working with 700-750 others in this textile workshop in İstanbul's Yenibosna town.

Türkan does not know where to start. Taking a deep breath, she tells bianet the following about what it is like to have to work amid pandemic:

"It is like we, workers, would save the country from the outbreak. It is as if the country would collapse if they halted constructions and textile for three months. But, if we don't work, the state will have to care for us, right? Then, may the workers work so that they will not be a burden for the state...

'If a house has cellar, then life fits into that house'

"Of course, life fits into home... Life fits into home for the ones who have a duplex, triplex house in a garden with a cellar full of foodstuff... Life, of course, fits into home for celebrities who work for a month, then stay home and do nothing for five months.

"But we... If we don't work for a month, we will starve. Hunger doesn't fit into home. As if to mock our minds, they make these celebrities speak on TV. It is like they are mocking our minds, but nothing else...

"Just come and see how we, the ones working in textile workshops, live... Just go and look at these constructions, ask the ones working there, just go out on the street... Ask the ones who have to go out on the street every day to work... Ask them whether life fits into home or not.

"Textile is already a dusty work'

"Textile workers are already exposed to so much dust, dirt and chemicals that even when you are healthy when you start working, you will have pharyngitis, asthma, bronchitis in the end in one way or another. When you retire, you retire as a person with several diseases. And, now, they talk about a virus, an outbreak. But no one thinks about our working conditions.

"Everyone is concerned about keeping their own work going. We are dead or alive, who cares? You make a brief news about us, you just say 'a worker has died' and that is all. Maybe, you won't even do that. There are four cases diagnosed in my workplace. They say that precautions are taken at the highest level. And what they mean by precautions is disinfectants, one mask a day and taking our temperature when we enter the workplace.

"Masks are closed, but they are here in a box. The security hand them out. We don't know which one is better: To wear them or not? We already don't use any gloves, because if we do, we cannot work and might have an occupational accident. It keeps sticking, our hands will get pressed.

'Social distance is impossible'

"There is also social distance... It is impossible. 70 people work on the same belt, it is impossible to keep a distance more than half a meter. As we give products to each other, we cannot work apart. Also, each one of us works on the same product for 3 times. Protect yourself if you can...

"When the virus was first seen in Turkey, we resisted together, we didn't work for one, one and a half week. But they will, of course, cut it from our wages or we will work to compensate for it, we don't know. We have been working for 2 weeks after the break. And since the beginning of this week, we have been working short-time. But, they are not precautions or a solution.

'I carry the virus to my mother and father'

"We go out on the street, we come to that workplace, nothing changes. When I work for 6 hours, will the virus say, 'she works for a short time, I won't infect her'? It is said that when we touch a place, we catch the virus in 15 seconds. It is said that it hangs in the air. I really wonder: Why do we work? What we produce is exported anyway and there is no exit now. Then, where do the things that we produce go?

"My mother and father are over 70, they will be fined if they go out. But I carry the virus to them. What a contradiction, don't you think? You say you protect the aged, but why don't you think about it? Believe me, everything is only for show. Look, the message of 'We are enough for each other, my Turkey' donation campaign comes to my mobile phone everyday.

'The ones staying home should support the campaign'

"We are facing the dilemma of 'should we die of the virus or starvation?' We go out on the street everyday, risking death. And they ask for money from us. Can you believe it? I am not the one who stays home, I carry the virus to my home and my family is not safe.Then, let the ones who are safe give this money. They shouldn't ask me for that.

"They levy taxes from my salary, from what I eat and drink, from everything... And they again want it from me. And it is again me to die of the disease.

'Four people have the virus in the workshop'

"I don't go to work for two days because I have a sore throat. Doctor said that it is a respiratory tract infection. I wasn't tested, but it is apparently not the virus. But, if not today, then tomorrow... I already have pharyngitis and allergic asthma. But I don't have a medicine that I regularly use or a report for such medicine. That is why I am not counted as a chronic patient.

"Also, four people have been diagnosed with the virus in the workplace. They are people that we are in contact with. We will see how that number will increase in 14 days. Our friends told it to the workplace doctor and the doctor answered, 'I have informed the Ministry of Health and I am told that you can keep on working.' We don't know how true that is. But, they will not isolate us." (RT/SD)