The dockyards where 18 workers have lost their lives in the last 8 months have been shaken by a strike against accident-related deaths at the work places. Thousands of workers stopped the production under the leadership of the union Limter-Is affiliated to DISK calling for a two-days-lasting active strike against the increasing number of accident-related deaths at Tuzla dockyards which is the heart of the ship production sector. This is the first strike that is realised throughout the whole region which is that disorganised and splitted into many outsourcing firms.

Strike despite the arrest
When Limter-Is, having followed a militant fighting line of the class for years against the dockyard bosses and the yellow trade unions, announced to go for strike, the bosses became worried and set the time for the morning shift for 6.30am. The workers together with Limter-Is leaders then started their strike at 6am on February 27 and cut all ways leading to the dockyards' region calling for joining the strike. The workers gathering at the place of the strike in front of the firm Tuzla Gemi exposed the dockyard bosses in their speeches.

The union leaders and dockyard workers opened the banner read: "The ones responsible for the accident-related murders must be convicted; security measures must be taken and the workers' health must be ensured; healthy accommodation, changing rooms and healthy food must be provided for those coming to work here from far; abolition of the outsourcing system; the right for representing our union at the dockyards must be given / Limter-Is."

The participation in the strike has said to be 60% and production was stopped at many dockyards.

"Long live class solidarity!"

The workers on strike were supported by workers of Kocaeli University and Arcelik workers who joined the actions with their posters and banner. Furthermore, many other organisations supported the actions, too, among them DİSK (Confederation of Revolutionary Workers' Union), KESK (Confederation of Public Employees' Trade Unions), the engineers' chambers, the doctors' chambers, and workers' unions from sectors of textile, leather, health, petrochemistry, transportation, glass and many others; as well as many organisations such as ESP (Socialist Platform of the Oppressed), ODP (Party of Freedom and Solidarity) and TKP (Communist Party of Turkey).
At 11am, DISK started a sit-in for 24 hours in the dockyard's region under the slogan "Either trade union or death". DISK General President Suleyman Celebi held a speech at the strike and called the workers to organise themselves at Limter-Is. Celebi also condemned the arrest of the Limter-Is leaders and said: "This topic has become the main question of Turkey by now. Accident-related deaths at the work place have been put on the agenda through the struggle of DISK and Limter-Is." KESK General President Ismail Hakki Tombul declared that they did not come to the strike post for solidarity but for being in fact participants of the strike. ODP General President and deputy of Istanbul Ufuk Uras supported the dockyard workers, too. Representatives of workers' unions from the sectors of airlines, petrochemistry, transportation, leather, health and many others held speeches at the actions to express their solidarity.

The struggle will continue until the victory
Levent Akhan from the leaders of Limter-Is held a speech in the name of his union. He stressed that the bosses had tried to announce the union and the strike as illegal and said: "We are asking: at which dockyards are laws applied? Which ones do apply the law for heavy working sectors? Which ones have taken any measures for security?" Akhan named the demands of the workers and called them to organise themselves.
The 75 workers and union leaders were released in the course of the day. They immediately went to the place of the strike and were saluted by the masses. Limter-Is President Cem Dinc then held a speech to the workers and declared that the reason for accident-related deaths is the outsourcing system and emphasized: "If they arrest us, or even imprison and kill us, we will continue to fight until victory." Dinc also announced that the union will organise a march to the office of GISBIR (organisation of the dockyards' bosses) in the dockyards' region on February 28. Limter-Is General Secretary Kamber Saygılı, Tümtis head of branch Çayan Dursun and Tekstil-Sen General President Ayşe Yumli Yeter also held speeches at the strike post after they had been released.
The strike of the dockyard workers has not only frightened the bosses but also the Labour and Social Insurance Minister Faruk Çelik who had claimed that the workers on strike "are having some ideological aim".
While meanwhile many democratic and revolutionary organisations condemned the attacks against the dockyards in their statements, the shopkeepers of Istanbul quarter Gazi closed their shops to support the strike.

Strike continued on the second day
Despite all efforts to hinder the strike, the workers continued on February 28. Gathering in the early morning hours, the workers started to wait at the strike area and shouted the slogans " "Strike, strike, strike", "The dockyard workers are not slaves", "Long live our resistance at Tuzla". The leaders of Limter-Is said in their speeches which they held here: "If it is ideological unionism to reject the slavery working conditions and demand a human life, then we will continue to do ideological unionism" and gave minister Faruk Çelik an answer.

The demands of Limter-Is have been accepted

The bosses' organisation GISBIR that on the previous day had answered the demand of Limter-Is for a meeting with the words "We accept to meet DISK only if Limter-Is President Cem Dinc does not come" had to make a step backwards when the determination for the strike became concrete and DISK declared: "Limter-Is is our organised union at the dockyards. We do not accept to have a meeting without its president." Finally, GISBIR had to meet a delegation of DISK General President Suleyman Celebi, Limter Is General President Cem Dinc, DISK General Secretary Tayfun Gorgun, DISK leader Ali Riza Kucukosmanoglu. They told GISBIR their demands which are as follows: the formation of a Dockyards' Council of Tuzla with the participation of the representatives of workers' and bosses' organisations and doctors', architects' and engineers' chambers. Furthermore, they demanded that this Council should be authorised to create conditions for health and security of the workers, to ensure international working conditions for all workers who work at the main and outsourcing firms, to ensure the right of the workers to become a member of the union and to guarantee the application of the law for heavy working conditions. GISBIR said that the demands of the workers could be accepted and asked to give them one week. After this period another negotiation meeting will be hold where the details will be fixed.
When the delegation told the dockyard workers about the meeting with GISBIR, the workers stopped their actions and went to join another rally at Kadikoy which was going to be organised with the demand to cancel the draft law for Social Insurances and General Health Insurance (SSGSS).