May 04, 2006 The health workers of Çukurova University Hospital at Adana’s Balcalı who started union organizing under DEV SAĞLIK-İŞ only 5 months ago have stopped work due to stalling tactics of the University administration. In the morning, the workers gathered in front of the union representation office at the hospital. After explaining their action […]
May 04, 2006
The health workers of Çukurova University Hospital at Adana’s Balcalı who started union organizing under DEV SAĞLIK-İŞ only 5 months ago have stopped work due to stalling tactics of the University administration.
In the morning, the workers gathered in front of the union representation office at the hospital. After explaining their action and their frustration with the hospital’s stalling tactics to the patients and their families, the workers also discussed their work stoppage and its causes with other workers. They called on other health care providers to join them for a united struggle against the bosses. At 11:00AM the workers gathered in front of the clinics.
Here, the workers again explained to the patients and to the press that since March the efforts to negotiate had been fruitless. They said, “The day to act for our rights has come.” It was emphasized to the patients that this struggle was not only for the workers, but also for the benefit of the patients. They explained that their struggle was for a better service and better health care for the patients as well.
The workers then started chanting, clapping and whistling as a means of protest while they waited for the union representatives to return from the meeting with the Rector. After learning the facts from the workers, the patient families started giving support to the laborers as well. Workers who were not union members also joined in from the windows by clapping and whistling for support to the union.
On return of the union representatives from the offices, the hospital representative promised the formation of a committee to oversee the working conditions and raises to the wages.
In his address to the workers, the president of the DEV SAĞLIK-İŞ union, Mr. Doğan Halis, said as a result of a long struggle, the rights the workers were entitled to were slowly materializing. He reminded that the struggle at Balcalı was being echoed all over Turkey. He said, “We are throwing away the ID cards that read, ‘Temporary Worker.’ Someone who has worked more than 10 years could not be considered temporary. We will create our own labor law.”
Speaking for the Adana Chamber of Physicians, Dr. Osman Küçükosmanoğlu said they will closely watch to see that the promises were not broken.
After the speeches, having obtained the promises from the administration, the workers started work again.
Halkın Sesi – Peoples Voice, Adana
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