ALİ BULUŞ

ADANA (DİHA) - Cleaning workers of Seyhan Municipality who suspended work for their social and economic rights were fired by subcontractor company. Workers, who were said if they sign a paper expressing they regret and apologize to administrators of the company they would be taken back to work, were sacked after working one day although they signed the paper.

670 cleaning workers employed in Miray Cleaning Corporation which do the cleaning works of Adana Seyhan Municipality of AK Party were sacked for they suspended the work on 8 May for their social and economic rights given. Workers were told if they sign a paper indicating that they regret and apologize they can begin to work after negotiations between employer and subcontractor company. Workers who signed the paper were taken back on 10 May but sacked at the same day after working a few hours.

' Promise to take back workers comes out a lie'

Stating that they were notified if workers don't sign the paper they will not be taken back to the work, Dogan Akarcali, one of worker, said that ' Mayor of Seyhan Azim Ozturk said to us that everybody except 36 persons will be taken back to work in our last negotiation. He promised to us but did not live up to his promise. Workers who went for starting work were sacked after working a few hours.'' Stating that they still have credit to take from the employer, Akarcali, told that:

'' He does not take us back to work as well as not sacking us officially. He always commits behaviors injuring our honor. He had our friends signed papers expressing they regret and apologize, but after workers signed it he had them worked for a day and sacked them. The mayor say 'take' but the boss does not take us back.We could not sense how a mayor could not influence a company which he gave bid. How it can be that this firm takes bid from the municipality and rebel against municipality.''

'They had us signed paper with force'

Huseyin Baz, one of worker who went to building yards for starting work stated that '' They had workers signed the petition under compulsion, and they say ' workers gave us such a paper and they regret. In the paper it was written that we regret and apologized. They had about 400 workers signed this paper. I did not sign it. Because they say that they don't take back 36 workers who organized the action and I was among those 36 persons. No one has right to play with honor of workers.'', saying that the papers were parepared by the employer, and workers were forced to sign it.

These statements come up in the paper signed:

I am one of worker who suspend work on 8 May 2006 although the boss and municipality wanted us to start work and warned us. Ismail Botar, Oguz Kazancı, Osman Kutgi, Muslum Ceylan, Hüseyin Baz, Umit Demirtaş, Erdal Ozhan and Idris Karaca had instigated and oriented us about doing this action. I realised this behavior is wrong and regret. I apologize for this reason. I request started to work by forgiving me. I submit the due made.

(ab/he/aş)