The workers decided to continue with the gathering inside the building after being prevented to do so in the yard. The police first allowed this, however, soon turned around and accused the workers of “provocation” and started beating and detaining the attendees.
Workers of the SES healthcare workers’ union decided to hold a press release to explain the discriminatory practices of the Turkish Ministry of Health. This is unacceptable in the Turkish democracy. The police immediately surrounded the press conference and put an end to it.
For a long time the union and its members have been demanding equality among the different services provided by the healthcare workers. The Turkish government keeps the services separate and pays according to different tiers and branches of services although all workers provide healthcare services.
Turkish government does not take press releases lightly, especially if there is a potential to criticize the government. This press release was no exception and faced the same police attack as others.
Gathering at the hospital yard, the healthcare union officials and the workers tried explaining the situation and how it was effecting the laborers. However, the police warned them that they were not allowed to read any press release according to a presidential decree. When the workers objected, the police shouted, “He is the president, are you more knowledgeable than him?”
The workers decided to continue with the gathering inside the building after being prevented to do so in the yard. The police first allowed this, however, soon turned around and accused the workers of “provocation” and started beating and detaining the attendees.
Among those detained is the SES Ankara Branch co-president Kubilay Yalçınkaya. SES is the Health Care Laborers’ Union.
Mihriban Yıldırım, a member of the Progressive Health Workers’ Union’s (Devrimci Sağlık İş) steering committee, sent a video message while under detention in a police vehicle and said, “As you can see we are now under detention in a police vehicle. Our demands were very clear. We just wanted them to create a solution to the demands of the workers. Nurses or cleaning staff cannot take advantage of the benefits provided to other healthcare workers. This is an open discrimination to our members. You cannot be victorious against a virus while practicing discrimination. We are all healthcare workers. Listen to what the workers are demanding.”
Sendika.org News (M.B.)
