6 More Airport Workers Arrested

* Photograph: İnşaat-İş / Twitter

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Six more workers, who demanded that occupational homicides be stopped and bad working conditions be improved in the construction of the 3rd Airport in İstanbul, have been arrested.

The number of arrested airport workers has increased to 33.

The Construction Workers Union (İnşaat-İş) made a statement yesterday (October 4) and announced that a group of workers were taken into custody in raids conducted to their dormitories and six of the workers were arrested:

"Six more of our worker friends, who were referred to court with the request for their arrest, have been arrested. We cannot yet learn their surnames, but their names are Bilal, Diyar, İbrahim, Mehmet Nuri, Mustafa and Yusuf."

The workers of the 3rd Airport started their resistance on September 14 in the wake of a service vehicle accident, which occured on September 12 and injured 17 workers.

Union Chair Karabulut has been detained

The Progressive Construction Workers Union (Dev-Yapı-İş) Chair Özgür Karabulut was also taken into custody in front of the Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey (DİSK) Central Office.

The union has announced that Karabulut will appear before the judge in Gaziosmanpaşa Courthouse today.

What happened?

On September 12, 2018, in the construction of the 3rd Airport in İstanbul, where almost 36 thousand workers have been working, a shuttle vehicle had an accident, which injured 17 workers.

In the wake of this accident, workers stopped working in the construction due to bad working conditions and occupational homicides.

On September 14, 401 workers were taken into custody. 275 of these workers were released on September 16. 83 workers were also gradually released. 28 of the remaining 43 workers were referred to court with a request for their arrest. 33 workers have been arrested so far.

The demands of the workers are:

-The workers who joined the protest won't be fired.

-Those who were fired without being informed will be reinstated.

-Shuttle problem will be solved.

-Full wage will be put into bank account, it will not be paid in person.

-Workers and foremen will eat at the same dining hall.

-The İGA officials responsible for the problems will be discharged.

-Demands will be read out in front of the press.

-Occupational homicides will be resolved.

-Bonus will be paid in bairams.

-Workers will be given working clothes.

-Salary of workers who haven't been paid for 6 months will be paid.

(BK/SD)