The PE (We breathe down the bosses’ neck) Istanbul Textile Workers’ Solidarity Network has issued a message of condolence after a member, Nurettin Çınar, lost his life due to COVID-19. Çınar was a textile worker, married and a father of two children.
‘We Breathe Down the Bosses’ Neck’ Istanbul Textile Workers’ Solidarity Network’s condolence message is as follows:
‘The reason for the fact that the workers are forced to work in factories, workshops without any health and safety measures against the COVID-19 pandemic and for that they get sick and die is the bosses’ interest for profit. The President’s [Erdoğan] call for ‘stay home’ is clearly not for the workers who maintain this capitalist system. The government, which seeks to safeguard the profits of the bosses, is responsible for the deaths of our brother and sister workers.
Our sincere condolences and solidarity to our friend Nurettin’s family, we can only wish them patience to endure this pain. Our heartfelt condolences to all the textile workers.’
Earlier this month, the guards of another boss of the textile company, Akar Textile, attacked the workers with sticks in Turkey’s İzmir as the workers stopped working after some of their colleagues were tested positive for COVID-19.
Issuing a statement, the solidarity network (PE) stated that the bosses cannot even tolerate the workers’ demands for health measures against the pandemic, adding that the bosses attacked the workers with reference to the provincial health board reporting that “the working conditions at the factory were proper”.
