Agrobay Greenhouse workers to march to Ankara before local elections

In İzmir, Bergama, 39 workers who were fired from Agrobay Greenhouse due to organizing in the Agricultural Workers Union (Tarım-Sen) are taking their resistance to Ankara, which they started on August 23, 2023.

Organized under Tarım-Sen against harsh working conditions, the agricultural workers most of whom are women, are demanding their severance pay and unpaid wages.

The workers, who will march to Ankara before the local elections on March 31, will react to politicians knocking on doors for votes despite their lack of interest in their demands.

The march will start from the Covered Market place in Bergama on Monday, March 18. After passing through Soma, Akhisar, Salihli, Uşak, Afyon, Bayat, and Polatlı, the workers will reach Ankara.

The workers, who have been camping outside the greenhouse, organizing press releases and protests for over 200 days, released the following statement:

"We have traveled to İstanbul, Ankara, even to the parliament, to explain our plight to all politicians, but so far, not a single politician from either the ruling party or the opposition has come forward to defend us, the 39 agricultural workers, against this blatant exploitation by the employer, Arzu Şentürk.

Now, ahead of the local elections on March 31, representatives of all political parties shamelessly come to our door asking for votes. As the workers of Agrobay, at this point, we will initiate a march from Bergama to Ankara on Monday, March 18;  for the sake of our own dignity, beyond any financial gain, and to expose politicians whose only concern is to appease the employers and not to serve the workers of this country.

This march will be an honor march for us and a march of shame for all politicians. We will not give our votes to those who cannot even ensure that 39 workers receive their rightful wages from an employer; we have questions to ask, and we demand answers." (HA/PE)