Gedik Piliç factory, located in Eşme district of Uşak, despite 86 workers' coronavirus tests are positive, continues production. Workers explain the situation as "They pressure us to continue production to save chickens". Based on the story of workers, Gedik Piliç’s pressure for continuous production and increase in profits threatens overall public health of the city.
As one of the biggest poultry facility of Turkey, Gedik Piliç employs 2000 workers. A worker from slaughterhouse who has given information that the first case was heard on 20th April told us as they were worried and some of them quit the job. The worker who informed us that some people have also called in sick formally, also mentioned that an extra payment of 1000 turkish lira promised to workers. Worker said that almost all the cases have occurred among the workers who work too closely on the packing line.
As for another labourer that we have interviewed said that Gedik Piliç has grown up very fast and monopolized the important part of Turkey's market. The worker telling that in recent years the factory located in Eşme employs workers migrated from Syria and people coming from Urfa said, "Most of the workers who work at slaughterhouse were immigrants or coming from Kula and Alaşehir districts of Manisa. The pandemic has spread among those workers the most. We are working 12 hours per day and overtime wage is not paid. Due to the nature of the job, while we are on some works or also on a break for smoking, we can’t keep any 'social distance'. There were no such measures as taking body temperature measurement, mask use or lunch space measures before coronavirus cases has been heard in Gedik Piliç. We slaughter and process 250 thousands chicken per day. Production pressure is too high, due to the fear of losing chickens.”
A Union executive, Mazhar Uzbek from headquarter of DİSK/Gıda-İş (Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey / Food Workers Union ) who has made a statement about the issue says, "86 confirmed cases once again indicated that struggle with an outbreak can not be left to the mercy of bosses. Workers face the death by being recieved by false guarantees of lacking measurements for the sake of extra profits" Uzbek reminding two workers died because of Covid-19, continues: "Although all of these incidents, SSI (Social Security Instituion) has officially announced that Covid-19 won’t be accepted as professional accident (for compensation). Workers must know that description of the professional accidents had been determined within the frame of labour law. That can not be changed with a legal notice. In this context, it is needed to shut down the facility for 15 days, and to give all workers paid leave and to test workers and their families for Covid-19. All these rights can be gained with the organised struggle of the workers."
Yaşar Taylan who is chairperson of Uşak Şeker-İş (sugar-work union) reminds that some positive cases were seen before in textile sector, and says: "For the sake of blocking a wide-scale quarantine and not to close the industrial zones, we see that the pandemic threat becomes prevalent. Even though some employers take several measures, so long as precautions would not be widely applied the concerns are increasing."
Taylan states that slowing down the production “after” the positive cases emerge doesn’t make any sense and adds: "Taking measures is not just about wearing a mask or paying attention for social distancing. Workers are coming from districts of Manisa and villages of Uşak to the white meat factory in Eşme. These workers use the same production line. Also, they eat at the same refectory and use the same vehicles for the transportation."
Ramazan Çavuşoğlu who works as a local journalist on Uşak says "There was an imminent pandemic incident at Gedik Piliç. Necessary measures have not been taken at Gedik Piliç because of employer’s on good terms with politicians despite cases is known for a month" Çavuşoğlu who utters as contrary to official figures, there are much more cases on Uşak, also said that outbreak has spread among the public mainly from industrial zone, workplaces, factories and barber shops. Çavuşoğlu who reminds that 2 labourers have lost their lives because of the virus while they were at work, stated that Kaynak İplik factory paused production after those deaths. Çavuşoğlu said that imposing an obligation of using masks late on 14th May by public hygiene committee of the province is a big question mark.
A medical chamber spokesperson of Uşak, Adnan Memiş also mentioned that it can be told the cases are above the country average on Uşak.
Report on May 15 by Osman Çaklı in Gazeteduvar internet journal about the contagion of 86 workers at Gedik Piliç had drawn public attention. According to the report the statement by the Uşak Governor’s office was this: "Upon not taking necessary measures by the factory, the number of cases exploded. There are currently two slaughterhouses at Gedik Piliç. One of those was closed. Contact tracing has done in the facility. Soon after, for almost 540 people who were in contact with positive cases, we enforced home quarantine.". The news report also says that Gedik Piliç rejects the claims that it skipped necessary measures and says that local health authorities inspected the measures taken and the sectors with positive cases inside the facility were closed down. (EVRENSEL DAILY)
Bülent Falakaoğlu
Hakkı Özdal
