Stop exploitation of GAMA workers! Pay them their back wages

CWI members in countries across Europe organised lobbies outside Turkish embassies last Friday to protest against the vicious exploitation of workers in Ireland who are employed by the Turkish based multinational GAMA construction. We carry two reports below from Belgium and Sweden. Pictures. socialistworld.net

Protest lobby against GAMA construction

On Friday 8 April, members and sympathisers of the Left Socialist Party (Linkse Socialistiche Partij(LSP)/ Mouvement pour une Alternative Socialiste [MAS]) protested in front of the Turkish embassy against the scandalous practices of GAMA, a Turkish construction company in Ireland. They employ Turkish workers at €2.30 an hour for 90 hours a week.

After 30 minutes, 2 of us were allowed to visit the consul. He gave us the necessary time to explain why we were protesting. Despite listening to us he washed his hands of the fact that Gama is a Turkish based multinational and argued that we should protest in front of the Irish embassy because Ireland should ensure that the employment laws are respected. We refused to accept his arguments explaining that GAMA oppresses workers across the world and as a Turkish based company, the Turkish government should put pressure on them to end this exploitation.

We are making sure that we put pressure from different angles on this Turkish company. The consul accepted the protest letter from the Left Socialist Party and from the trade union delegation from Bayer, a chemical factory in Belgium.

Sweden

On Friday (8 April) members of Rättvisepartiet Socialisterna (CWI, Sweden), organised a protest outside the Turkish Embassy. We carried placards with slogans in Turkish demanding justice for the Gama workers. We took with us protest letters from our five local councilors, and also our party. We also brought protest letters from Per Johansson , chairperson SEKO branch 119, which organises tubetrain drivers in Stockholm and from Lena Ezelius, chairperson Kommunal sekt 26, (council workers in Stockholm).

The Embassy refused to meet us. A representative who spoke through the intercom outside the embassy said that "we should go to the Irish Embassy instead". So letters of protests had to be sent by post afterwards.

Those protesting outside the embassy shouted slogans using a megaphone explaining to passers by that the embassy had refused to meet us and demanding that this should happen immediately.

Rättvisepartiet Socialisterna (CWI Sweden) will continue to campaign amongst the trade unions and community organisations to build support for the GAMA workers.

Sweden

Belgium

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