TKP: "Stop production in nonvital sectors, take maximum measures in others"

Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) has issued a statement, listing the immediate precautions to prevent the spread of the epidemic, as the Turkish government continues putting the workers' lives and health at risk in the country.
Sunday, 29 March 2020 12:48

While the death toll has reached 108 due to Covid-19 in Turkey, the AKP government postpones the full shut down of nonvital sectors and puts the workers at risk every day.

Following the Science Board's meeting on Friday, the President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced further travel bans, stopping all flights to foreign countries, “flexible” working arrangements in the private sector, but no curfew and protection plans for the working people. 

Erdoğan also called on the people to stay at home and follow the restrictions, noting that the continuation of the production activities is the most important thing at this time.

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) has issued a statement, calling for stopping the production in nonvital sectors and taking maximum measures in other vital sectors across the country.

Mentioning that the "stay home" calls are not realistic since many workers in the country have to work in order not to lose their jobs and incomes, TKP, in its latest statement, listed the precautions that should be taken immediately to prevent the spread of the epidemic.

The full statement is as follows:

Stop production in nonvital sectors, take maximum measures for workers in enterprises that have to continue operating!

Millions of workers are forced to work at risk in the circumstances of a virus outbreak. While the authorities make calls for "stay home", the laborers continue to work to avoid losing their jobs and incomes.

Decisions that insistently protect the interests and profits of the capitalists should be abandoned. Regardless of any conditions, the guarantee of the life and health of the working people should be provided.

In this context, in order to prevent the outbreak from spreading further:

1) Production in nonvital sectors should be stopped.

2) In factories where production has stopped, workers should be on paid administrative leave and during this process, the payment of their wages should be under state guarantee.

3) In enterprises where production continues, the following precautions should be taken and working conditions should be arranged accordingly in order to ensure the full health and safety of workers and to prevent workers from being exposed to coronavirus:

-Working time should be reduced by ensuring no wage loss.

-Workers in the special risk group, such as those over the age of 60, with chronic diseases, disabled employees, pregnant women, nursing mothers, should be considered on administrative leave during the epidemic.

-Sufficient numbers of hand disinfectants that all workers can use should be placed at the factory entrances, easily accessible points inside and service entrances. It must also be ensured that they are always full.

-The card and finger reading systems used at the entrance and exit of the factories should be canceled.

-Temperatures of all employees and visitors entering the factories should be taken at the door. They should be questioned whether they have experienced any symptoms in the past 14 days and whether they have -traveled internationally. The statements of the people should be relied on.

-The distance between the employees working side by side in areas such as production lines and warehouses should be arranged to be 2 meters.

-Toilets should be disinfected at least twice a day. Protective glasses, masks, gloves, and durable protective clothing should be given to all employees working in disinfection operations at the factories.

-To reduce the risk of Covid-19 contamination, changing rooms, showers, resting areas, dining halls should be arranged so as not to exceed 20 people at the same time. These areas should be cleaned and disinfected in accordance with hygiene rules before and after each use.

-In dressing rooms, arrangements should be made to prevent contact between work clothes and other clothes.

-In addition to standard cleaning activities, spots like tables, chairs, door handles, ladder borders, faucets should be cleaned frequently.

-Areas and materials for common use such as spices and salad bars should be removed in dining halls and cafeterias. All materials used should be disposable.

-In cafeterias, a seating arrangement with 2 meters between each employee should be established.

-Dining tables should be cleaned with a 70% alcoholic solution before the next employee is seated.

-The kitchens and the workers working in the kitchens should be inspected in terms of hygiene rules and passed through health checks. Those showing any symptoms should not be working.

-Food and beverages should be distributed as lunch boxes wherever possible.

-An adequate amount of medical masks (N95, FFP2 or FFP3) and tissue paper should be available and used by workers, and waste boxes should be provided for the hygienic disposal of the used masks and tissues.

-Workers should be given protective clothing that they can wear while working.

-Shuttle services should be provided to workers for them not to use public transportation and the vehicles should be cleaned and disinfected in accordance with hygiene rules before and after each passenger. Disinfection dates and times should be located where workers can see them.

-The number of passengers should not exceed 20 people in the services and a 2-meter seating arrangement should be provided between each employee, and a surgical mask should be given to all of the drivers and workers.

-The machines and equipment used in the factories should be cleaned and disinfected at the beginning of the shifts and at the end of every shift.

-The spread of Covid-19 due to cigarette stubs should be prevented. Smoking and tobacco products should be banned in open areas.

-Faucets and lighting fixtures should be replaced with touchless materials in factories.

-High-efficiency filters should be used in ventilation systems and types of equipment such as air conditioners. Filters in the air conditioning system should be cleaned and disinfected at least once a week. Working environments should be naturally ventilated frequently, if possible.

-To prevent contamination, a central disposal spot should be created for the masks used in the facility.

-Work areas of employees working at receptions and security points should be disinfected every hour.

-Fire exits and external roads should be disinfected once a day.

-Drainage covers that are easy to access must be disinfected under environmental regulations.

4) A hotline to report mismanagements should be established immediately for workplaces and workplaces that do not take action should be announced to the public.

5) Inspection of these measures in the workplaces should be provided by the state. In this regard, a transparent structure that is open to the control of society and workers should be made public and announced.

Communist Party of Turkey

Central Committee