Construction workers protest Algeria, contractor over unpaid wages

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Workers of a Turkey-based company that undertook the construction of several public buildings in Algeria have not been able to get their wages and severance pays for two years.

They staged a protest of Algeria's consulate in Şişli, İstanbul, with a banner that read "Government of Algeria and Kayı Construction robbed workers' rights in cooperation," Mesopotamia Agency reported.

Over the past two weeks, the workers also staged protests in front of the office of Coşkun Yılmaz, the owner of the company, and the İstanbul Courthouse.

Reading out a statement, a spokesperson for the İnşaat-Sen union said problems emerged between Yılmaz and Algeria after the construction and the businessperson had his money blocked in the country's banks.

"We don't know what happened between Algeria's government and Coşkun Yılmaz. Problems between them shouldn't prevent workers from receiving their payments," he said.

A worker said, "Coşkun Yılmaz has money blocked in Algeria's banks and he robbed our rights."

Kayı Construction built two military hospitals, a "military hotel" and a finance center in Algeria in 2019.

In November 2019, more than 300 workers from Turkey, Vietnam and Pakistan went on a strike in Algeria, demanding their wages.

According to its website, the Kayı Construction company operates in more than 30 countries and has more than 6,000 employees. (HA/VK)