01 January 2009 /International Bulletin / Issue 77  

On December 14, the Socialist Platform of the Oppressed organised a conference under the name "Conference on work-related accidents, work safety and workers` health" in Istanbul, Tuzla. 250 workers and labourers coming from Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Diyarbakir, Bursa, Zonguldak, Adana, Antakya and Antep from many different sectors like shipyards, textile, construction, jeans abrasion, miners, metal work, health, education and transport discussed their problems and demands together with trade unions such as Tekstil-Sen , Limter-Is and Egitim-Sen and the ESP .
In the conference hall, different banners and pictures were hung, among them those of the workers' leader Suleyman Yeter who had been killed with torture in 1999 and the worker Erdal Inceyol who had lost his life recently before the conference in a work-related accident.
The ESP representative stressed in her speech that together with the dead of the worker Erdal Inceyol the number of workers dying because of work-related accidents at the shipyards of Tuzla had risen to 115. The speech continued saying that as a result of the current economical crisis work-related accidents will probably increase. As the reason for organising this conference, the representative said that the ESP wants to show that the trade unions are not alone in the fight against work-related accidents and that work-related accidents leading to death as well as occupational illnesses are not just the business of the unions. In order to solve this problem it is necessary, that labour organisations and political parties both assume responsibility. It is the capitalist system itself which creates unemployment, work-related accidents and occupational diseases, and the only interest of the capital is guaranteeing their profits by exploiting the workers. Therefore, the workers have to increase their class struggle and raise the flag of socialism against capitalism in order to defend their health and life. The determinant resistance in Tuzla has shown that work-related murders are not a question of destiny but that it is possible to achieve better conditions and to push through the legitimate demands of the workers even under today's conditions.
In the papers presented to the conference, also by victims of the work-related accidents and occupational illnesses, it was stated that the work-related accidents are a reality of the capitalist system, that these murders happen outside of Turkey, too and that they are not a fate. It was said that according to the ILO every year 1 million 200 thousand people are dying in work-related accidents or because of occupational diseases. In Turkey, which is on world scale on the third place and on the first place in Europe, every 7 minute a work-related accident occurs and in average 3 workers are dying every day for this reason. The increasing flexibilization, lack of rules and registration as well as long working hours were mentioned as reasons for the mortal work-related accidents. Moreover, the system of outsourcing also plays an important role.
The conference stated in its final resolution adopted in the end, that under the conditions of the economic crisis the attacks against the workers and laboures will increase and that the creation of a militant workers movement and the increase and unification of the struggle is highly important.
The workers expressed several demands like the centralization of technical, medical and juridical information on conditions and risks leading to work-related accidents and occupational illnesses and the early diagnosis of those illnesses. They also demand a real control and punishment of the bosses who do not take the necessary security measures in order to prevent work-related accidents and occupational illnesses and stated the need for an independent control commission and the observation and participation in the trials in this field. Also, they will lead a struggle for the cancellation of laws legalising the arbitrary conditions like the law No. 4857 and in order to end work without registration and insurance as well as child labour. Moreover, the workers decided to struggle against all the restrictions on the work and organisation in the trade unions, as being organised is the best way to achieve better work conditions. In addition to that many more topics have been debated, among them the problems and demands of female workers, agricultural workers and those of the workers in Kurdistan, who are exposed to racist chauvinist attacks, like in the city of Ordu.
The Conference on work-related accidents, work safety and workers` health was an important step to bring together not only the workers from different sectors and regions, but also the revolutionaries and socialists and the workers and labourers. In this period of the deepening economic crisis, it is more important than ever to strengthen and unite the struggle and to expose the capitalist order upholding the banner of socialism.