ISTANBUL (DIHA) –Nurettin Bingol: the 136th worker to die at the shipyards
Working without a safety belt, Bingol fell when he was cleaning the ship. He was a father of three and 36 years old. He was the 15th victim of the dangerous shipyards just this month though 15 died during the whole of 2009.

The shipyard company, Tuzla Shipyards, belongs to Ali Torlak, a deputy of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). Tuzla Shipyards has topped workers’ grievances list for a long time, especially after privatization remade the Turkish economy.

According to legal experts this is not an occupational accident but a murder, since providing safety belts for workers who works upland is obligatory for employers.

Hakkı Demiral, General Secretary of the Trade Union for Dock Workers (Limter Is) spoke to DIHA: “These are not accidents. We call them murder. The dock workers’ lives were left at the mercy of the employers. No control and no enforcement would have been practiced on them if it were not for such a high death rate.
Nurettin Bingol would be alive if he had a security belt which is obligatory for this work. Employers avoid paying a little money and workers pay the price with their lives. This must end in the shipyards. We’ve lost our 136th fellow and we do not want to lose more. The government has a great responsibility because of this painful situation. The laws are not enforced and employers are not brought to court.”

The workers demand several immediate steps. Safety equipment such as hard hats, goggles, gloves, steel-toe shoes and safety belts must be provided by the shipyard. Each shipyard needs an infirmary, an ambulance and an emergency doctor. The use of grit powder, which is carcinogenic and pollutes the environment, should be banned.

One of the main reasons for the many deaths is also the subcontracting system. Everyone should have the right to permanent employment. Those responsible for the deaths need to be prosecuted. Workers need to receive regular training in health and safety issues. Most accidents happen during overtime; there should be an end to obligatory overtime. The workers demand a 35-hour week with seven hours a day.

Workers should not be assigned to different jobs all the time; they should specialize. Some accidents were caused by cranes and forklifts. This kind of machinery needs to undergo regular controls. The shipbuilding industry should be categorized as heavy and dangerous work, thus entitling the workers to earlier retirement.

(gü/bk)