On May 22, three members of the ruling Justice and Development Party paid a visit to a worker resisting layoffs at TEDAS electrical generation and distribution plant. The party officials offered the worker another job at a different establishment and even went as far as offering a position at the JDP’s youth organization. These offers were contingent upon the worker’s persuading his co-workers to resign from union of energy workers, Enerji-Sen. The worker refused all offers.

Going nowhere with their efforts to end the worker action against the plant, violent attacks started first by the municipal police on May 23. Resisting workers speaking to Sendika.org said the police attacks were followed by municipal police attacks in the past.

Municipal Police ahead of the police force
On May 23, the workers were attacked by the municipal police first who informed the general police later to join them in the attack. Consequently the general police forces arrived and arrested the workers. Workers said the police were confused on the role of the municipal police and questioned the reason they were involved.

Energy workers spent May 22 and 23 under constant attack from the police. Arrested workers were released by the judge on May 25 pending trial. Adana security forces, in the meantime, have cordoned off the TEDAS plant with steel barriers and anti riot forces against the struggling workers.

Attacks continue against the workers
On May 26, the police raided the home of a worker who took photographs of the police violence against the workers. Worker was not at home at the time but learned about the raid from his family who called him on the phone. The police questioned the workers family on why he was photographing the events.

The phone call from Istanbul to Adana
The workers resisting the layoffs received a call from a corporation in Istanbul on May 26. This corporation, Çıralı Marsaş, had previously organized the ultra-nationalist, fascist thugs called the Grey Wolves to force the workers who had not been paid their wages for a long time to resume work. The spokesperson for Çıralı Marsaş told the workers they had received a contract from Adana and if the workers resigned from the union, they were authorized to give the jobs back to those fired. Workers refused the offer.

After what they went through, the energy workers resolved to continue their actions until all fired workers were given their jobs back. Workers are planning a festival on June 14 and are calling all to support their dedicated struggle.

Sendika.Org