Gözde MEYDAN
Kocaeli
Like many parts of the world, Turkey is going through days of increasing hot wave. While experts warn not to go out in hot weather unless it is mandatory, the temperature in the working environment of workers exceeds the temperature outside. Workers are forced to work for long periods of time in conditions without air conditioning, ventilation and adequate breaks.
A worker working as a painter in a ventilation factory said, "Imagine, there is no ventilation in the factory that produces ventilation. We, painters work in overalls and masks. We are dehumanised. It doesn't matter if I change 3 t-shirts a day. When this happens, productivity decreases and you get weak. If you are going to employ us, make the environment suitable for us. If experts warn, then workplaces should also be inspected." he said, expressing his reaction.
“WORKING IN THE HOT IS TORTURE”
Workers at the Çelik Halat factory, organised by the Turkish Metal Union affiliated to Türk-İş, say that working in this hot temperature has become torture. A worker at Çelik Halat said that due to the sheet metal roof of the factory and the heat of the machines, the temperature often exceeds 50 degrees during production, "We are literally feeling the heat of hell. It is 37 degrees outside but at least 50 degrees inside; we cannot breathe. Neither the union nor the management, no one has a solution. We raise the issue every time, but we get the same answers. There is no ventilation system inside the factory. We have to work with both dust and hot air. They said they would build the roof for years, but they still haven't done it. Now the factory has been sold and they say they will do it again. I change 3 t-shirts every shift, we are drenched in sweat."
AT FORD, PREGNANT WOMEN AND ILL PEOPLE WERE GIVEN LEAVE, BUT...
At Ford Otosan, pregnant and chronically ill workers will be considered to be on administrative leave for 3 days due to the hot weather. A Ford Otosan worker, who stated that there were workers who fainted due to the hot weather in some departments, said, "One of our friend's clothes got soaked 15 minutes after he started working, we are drenched in sweat. If you can escape during production, you run to the fan. It's hot and then cold... The work is heavy, no one can straighten their backs or necks. We need more fans and air conditioners in the production area, the ones we have are never enough. Sometimes they hand out icy towels, but the effect wears off after a minute. For example, today they didn't give us that either. We are dehumanised while working. When so many people are together, the smell of sweat is already an unbearable problem, although we don't smell it anymore because we work with our mouths open."
'WE FEEL LIKE WE ARE IN A BATH'
Stating that the number of fans is insufficient for the workers, the worker said, "They put fans over the robots to keep them warm, but not for the workers. If the offices are cool as ice, but we sweat like in a bath, they should organise our working conditions accordingly. We cannot find time to go to the toilet so that we can sit and cool off."
THE ONLY CONCERN IS PRODUCTION...
A Federal Mogul worker said, "It is already hot and the machines are heating up. It's becoming a persecution for us to work. There is a ventilation system in production, but it is not enough, there is not even a fan inside. There is not even a break place. For about two months, there are not even cold drinks in the vending machines. Break times are not organised. Friends with chronic illnesses continue to come to work. As long as production continues, no one cares whether we die or not."
COST IS THE REASON
At Bekaert, where DİSK-affiliated Birleşik Metal-İş is organised, there are sections where the temperature is very high due to the machines used. A Bekaert worker said, "It is really hard to work in such weather, we change 4 t-shirts during work. In some parts of the factory, the temperature is kept constant in summer and winter due to the material produced. We had previously proposed this system for the whole factory, but of course it was rejected on the grounds of cost. When we are very overwhelmed, we have the chance to go outside and get fresh air and drink cold drinks in the tea area. The union is also trying to have better conditions in such weather, if there are places with bad ventilation."
PORT WORKERS WORK UNDER THE SUN
In the ports of Evyapport and Safiport in Kocaeli, it is very difficult for workers to work due to the hot weather. A Safiport worker stated that there is no shaded area to rest in the port and said, "Air conditioners do not work in containers, some do not have air conditioners. The air conditioners of the vehicles are broken, they are not repaired. There is no ventilation in the warehouses, we have friends who faint while working. We have helmets on our heads but we take them off due to the heat. There is no organisation for such days, no cold drinks are distributed."
NO WATER FOR PORT WORKERS!
Evyapport workers also complain about the hot temperature. They say that there is no change in working hours, rest areas or break periods. The Evyap workers we spoke to said, "The weather is getting hotter, but there is no change for us. Do you want cold water? You will get it yourself. They did not make any changes in break periods. The situation of those working on the ground is more difficult. Especially our friends working in subcontractor companies feel the hot more. Workers using RTG, CRS and MAFI have air conditioning in the cabin, and there are some among them who do not. If you switch on the air conditioner, you feel cold, if you switch it off, it is inevitable to be burned. The situation of our scorekeeper friends working in the subcontractor company is more difficult, our friends waiting at the entrance gate and working in security are in a similar situation."
Yusuf Karadaş
Yücel Özdemir
