Tuzla Deaths Finally Bring Boatyard Closures
The deaths of the workers in Tuzla boatyards finally get government’s attention. Two boatyards are shut down temporarily and the Prime Minister meets with the sector representatives.
Istanbul Governorship shut down another boatyard in Tuzla area in Istanbul because of the occupational security risks it presented. With the closure of Dentaş Gemi İnşa ve Onarım San. A.Ş., the number of Tuzla boatyards that have been shut down rises to two.
The governorship officials determined during their inspection that there were various risks such as electrical contact, falling from high structures, pressure increases, explosions, chemical explosions, toxication and suffocation, and therefore they shut down the boatyard for five days to have these problems fixed.
The governorship had announced yesterday morning that they had shut down İstanbul Tersanecilik and Denizcilik for thirty days as well.
The Prime Minister met with the parties responsible for the Tuzla boatyard deaths
Yesterday morning, the Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with the representatives of the boatbuilding sector in order to discuss the steps to be taken in order to prevent the deaths in Tuzla boatyards.
Although the Chamber of Shipping, the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB), the Port, Dockyard and Boat Building Workers Union of Turkey (DOK GEMİ-İŞ) were invited to the meeting, the The Port, Shipyard, Ship Construction and Repair Workers Trade Union (Limter-İş), which single-handedly brought the problem to everyone’s attention was not invited. (TK/TB)
İstanbul - BİA News Center
20 June 2008, Friday