Mehmet Kanca, the Bursa representative of the Confederation of Turkish Workers’ Trade Unions, Türk-İş, has announced that a total of 13,773 workers have lost their jobs in the western Turkish province since the beginning of 2009.
265 job losses a day
According to the Bursa Olay newspaper, Kanca said that 8,401 workers were laid off in January, and 5,372 workers in February. This amounts to 265 people losing their jobs every day.
In that same period, only 323 workers found employment.
Many job losses in 2008
Kanca further said that 56,700 workers were laid off in 2008, while only 7,815 people found employment during that time.
“This is not just an economic issue, but also a social trauma,” he said. He emphasised that if people lost their jobs, could not pay their debts, and could not access health services, then social balances would be destroyed and crime rates would rise. (TK/AG)
