November 16, 2015
A talk with Syrian refugees in Turkey
At Istanbul we had the chance to talk with Syrian Young refugees. Some have been there over a year working, while others have just arrived. They are young people of 20 to 35 years old who had to leave their country because their houses were demolished, taken by Assad forces. Their families are unsafe and trhere is no water, food or work.
Many of them have brothers and parents who are also looking for job in different Turkish cities. Some families have arrived all together. The ones we have talked with came to Turkey alone to look for a job to save money so then they can give to their families who are refugee or in Syria. Some of them who are not married also want to get money to buy a house to be able to get marry and take their family there. They think they will stay in Turkey for a short term.
Some of them have their parents in Germany and they told us that they are working to go there. They need to save 2500 Euros. 1500 is to get to Greece via sea and from there they need another 1000 to reach Germany… risking their life to die, facing with close borders, and electrical wires, among many others.
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November 16, 2015
Istanbul: demonstration for the Kurd exploited against the repressor governmet
The barricade clashes between the Kurd exploited and the army continue. Yesterday the army broke into and took power in a Kurd city which is at the borders with Iraq. It imposed a state of siege, but apparently today they have withdrawn. The attacks and siege is kept in several cities. There were several demonstrations against it. In Istanbul there were many of them. In downtown, near Taksim area, the demonstration was mainly the organizations. However, the Kurd exploited in the neighborhoods on outskirts of Istanbul there were demonstration taking the streets and breaking what was on their way (shops, glasses, so on). They showed their anger against the repressor government who murder their class brothers at the south. The demonstrations were severely repressed with rubber bullets, water tank and tear gasses. |
About Germany, they were told that it is believed an ideal place for the refugees as it is offered a place and a “subsidy”, which is a loan in reality, of 400 Euros per month to each adult and 300 Euros to each minor. In return they have to go to the school, go to work courses and learn the language for at least 6 months. From there, they start working for a minimal wages and the government gets half of it as way to pay back the loan given by the state.
This reminded us when the first refuges got into Turkey and were welcomed as brther by the workers of this country, as it happens in Germany too. This made Erdogan’s government to give a subsidy of 100 liras per person, whether it workers or not, they were also offered a place to live and courses to learn the language for free. This was for few months, as soon a gap between the Turkish and Syrian workers was created, Erdogan’s government withdrew all the subsidies.
They invited is to the place where they live. It is a single room with a single bathroom and a separate place for the kitchen. There are 15 Syrians living there and they pay each of them between 200 and 250 liras (between 67 and 83 US$) per month, this include rent, electricity, gas, internet and the building expenses. It is in a European neighborhood but it is not in downtown.
Sharing with them brunch on Sunday, the only day that they do not work long hours, they told us about the refugees. In Turkey there are 4 million Syrians, although fir UN there are 2 million), but there are also, as immigrant or political refugee, other millions of Iraqi workers… there are many Iranians and also Palestinians, Lebanese and from all over Middle East and some from different countries of Africa. The data goes to 10 millions of workers who come from other places and are living in Turkey and are used as slave labor.
The wages in Istanbul, the most expensive city in the country, for a building worker is between 60 and 70 liras (20-30 US$) and as a helper goes between 40-50 liras (13-17 US $) per day… each shift is of 12 hours. If you do not work, because you do not have one or it is weekend, there is no money. This wages are lower in the cities in the south. It is true those cities are cheaper. The wages there are 50 liras and 25-30. The same low wages are earn by the Kurd workers, most of the times the refugees and the Kurdish earn bellow the legal minimal wages which is of 1000 liras per month (333 US $).
They help each other to get work. They notified between refugees who are working there are some job position available, they spread the word until something appears. They do cleaning jobs, food, retail, textile factories ... but they are very little consider for qaulified jobs, unless you speak Turkish and have recognized the degrees and and have all the papers (question that hardly exists).
This has created a situation that Syrian refugees express in this way: “I need to work ... and we are many. The owner takes advantage and dismisses the Turkish employee and hires us, 3 or 4 of us, for the same money that was paid for one. We do not want to be paid 3 or 4 times less than the Turkish worker, let alone we want them to lose their job ... because there are work here. But we are in a situation where we can not complain." We asked them if a Turkish organization, if they have the opportunity to do something, has taken them into account, they answered that any organization has done that.
There is no union or political party or organization in Turkey that is supporting or calling a struggle for the refugees have all papers, opportunity to have work and earn the same wages that Turkish workers. These organizations have resources, influence and even legal status for held rallies, strikes, marches, etc. But they do not. Refugees are not union members.
The unionized layers are only a small minority, mostly skilled workers, who constitute a real labor aristocracy. The bureaucracy of the unions do not defend or take into account any refugee worker. And so they are at the mercy of the Turkish bosses to employ for wages below the minimum and dismiss Turkish workers.
We must unite the workers' ranks! Equal pay, equal work! Papers for all immigrants! Equal rights! The workers' organizations must recruit the refugees as full memebers!
For this, we must expel from the unions to Erdoganist union bureaucracy. Decent work for all with a minimum monthly salary of 3000 lire! |