Police attack on workers demanding their rights from Limak Holding: Eight detained

Workers who left their jobs with rightful termination of the labor contract due to irregular payments while working on the Central Bank project within the Istanbul Finance Center are fighting for their unpaid rights with the support of DİSK/Dev Yapı-İş and İnşaat-İş unions.

Six workers and two union executives who went to the construction site today (October 11) to meet with Limak Holding, the main contractor of the project, were first attacked by private security personnel and then by the police.

Workers and union executives were beaten and detained by the police.

"Workers demand their rights arising from rightful termination of contract"

Özgür Karabulut, the President of DİSK/Dev Yapı-İş, summarized today's events and the workers' demands to bianet:

"Workers employed in repair and insulation jobs had constant delays in the payment of their wages, especially in the last 4-5 months. It sometimes takes 10-15 days and sometimes up to 20 days for wages to be paid. Our colleagues had objections to this, and they made a rightful termination of their labor contract based on wage delays. They demanded their rightful severance pays and payment of backdated holiday and Sunday overtime payments. Our negotiations reached a certain point. They said they would pay for the days worked on official holidays last year. But that they will not pay the severance pay."

"If we give you your rights, other workers will demand them"

Karabulut stated that a meeting was held with Limak officials after the workers took action, and said, "They told us, 'We want to make a joint decision with three companies.' We stopped our action yesterday. But today, our friends who went to the construction site to meet with the officials were told, 'We will not pay your severance pay. There is no rightful termination. If we do this, there are thousands of workers inside, everyone will make a rightyful termination due to wage delays.' Our colleagues said they would not leave the construction site until they received their rightful payments."

Karabulut said that union executives and workers who were attacked first by private security and then by the police, and that they were taken to Ümraniye Police Headquarters.

"Our actions will continue"

Karabulut, who said that they had encountered similar situations before, stated, "When it comes to subcontractor companies, the main companies make them pay. They do it so that the industrial action does not continue, so that there is no visible struggle for rights within the construction site. But when it comes to the main companies' own money, we encounter an incredibly reticent and despotic approach."

The union leader said, "they actually know that irregular payments are a justifiable reason for rightful termination, they avoid making the necessary payments because they do not want to set an example for other workers."

Karabulut emphasized that they will continue their actions until the workers receive their payments. (VC/PE)