Workers halt work at Galataport for their unpaid wages

Click to read the article in Turkish

As subcontractors affiliated with Anel Electricity company did not pay the wages of workers, they halted work at the construction site of Galataport project on the Asian side of İstanbul at 8.30 a.m. today (January 26).

The Workers' Representatives Council (İTK), Labor's Force Association and Progressive Construction Workers (Dev Yapı-İş) Union previously gave time to the company until January 25, warning that the workers would halt work if the unpaid wages were not paid by then.

As the workers could not get their wages within this period of time, they gathered in front of the construction site in the early morning hours today and requested a meeting with the company. The three labor organizations and unions also supported the workers in their protest.

The administration of the construction stated that only the construction workers would be admitted to the site due to the pandemic.

Hearing this, workers protested, saying, "It is as if you paid attention to work and accomodation conditions during the pandemic... Is the pandemic a problem now, when the workers come organized?" Chanting slogans, workers then protested for their unpaid wages.

As workers insisted on waiting there, some representatives of workers met the company officials. As the company said that their unpaid wages for December would be paid three days later, the meeting ended.

About Galataport

Jointly undertaken by Doğuş Group and Bilgili Holding, Galataport İstanbul project is defined as "a global project ... serving as a hub for the city from tourism to arts and culture." It covers an area of 400 thousand square meters and a 1.2-kilometer coastline from the Karaköy Dock to Mimar Sinan University Fındıklı Campus.

The project was announced to the public in March 2002. Planned as a build operate transfer model, the project's investment value was determined as 148 million dollars. The tender foreseeing a build operate transfer model and an operating right for 49 year was held in September 2005. The highest bid was given by the consortium led by the Royal Carribean Cruises with 3 billion 538 million Euro.

The Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB) İstanbul City Planners Chamber appealed to the Council of State. The 6th Chamber of the Council of State halted the execution of the project in a unanimous decision.

In 2008, the Chamber of Environmental Planners also filed a suit for the annulment of the İstanbul Provincial Environmental Plan with 1/100000 scale. The İstanbul 2nd Administrative Court gave a ruling of suspension of execution. Kadir Topbaş, the then Mayor of İstanbul from the ruling AKP, appealed the decision. The new plan drafted after his statements was approved by the municipal council in a majority of votes.

The Law on Coasts was also amended in 2010 and it was obvious that this amendment was intended for the Galataport, Haliçport and Haydarpaşaport projects.

In 2012, the new project plan was approved by the İstanbul No. 2 Provincial Directorate of Protecting Cultural and Natural Heritage and the second tender process started.

Doğuş Group submitted a bid in the amount of 702 million dollars, during the tender held by the May 16, 2013 Privatization Administration tender for the Salıpazarı port and won the tender. In 2014, the Group established a partnership with Bilgili Holding's BLG Capital, and this partnership set up the Salıpazarı Port Operation and Investment Corporation.

Chambers of Architects, Urban Planners and Civil Engineers objected to the project again and the Council of State gave a ruling of stay of execution again.

The Privatization Administration of the Prime Ministry argued that it did not mean suspending the execution of the construction plan of the Galataport project and the construction continued despite the suspension of execution.

(HA/SD)