Workers at Istanbul construction site block road denouncing ‘poor labor conditions’

ISTANBUL

Protesters said many of them had health issues due to the inhumane working conditions. DHA Photo

A group of construction workers have launched a protest over poor labor conditions in Istanbul’s Halkalı neighborhood, halting their work and blocking a busy highway.

The protest at the construction site of a residential complex comes amid public outrage over the death of 10 workers, following the collapse of an elevator in central Istanbul.

Workers said many of them had health issues due to the inhumane working conditions. They also said they couldn’t receive wages regularly and added that their meal contained parasites and worms.

The demonstration has momentarily disrupted traffic on the TEM highway, one of the two major arteries crossing Istanbul from east to west.

Meanwhile, officials from the Tema Park residential complex project ensured the start of negotiations to find a solution to the workers’ problems.

The working conditions of construction workers in hundreds of job sites in Istanbul have come under the spotlight after the Sept. 6 disaster that cost 10 workers their lives. Officials from the construction company responsible for the field, Torunlar, rejected all accusations and even placed blame on the workers, prompting further anger.