President of Cyprus Turkish Construction Subcontractors Association Uncle Osman Reacting to the fact that workers are employed in an air temperature exceeding 40 degrees, he called on the Ministry of Labor and Social Security to immediately implement their proposals in this direction.
The President of the Cyprus Turkish Construction Subcontractors Union, Osman Amca, made a proposal for the employers and the state to meet their salaries jointly by imposing a 10-day ban on workers working in the construction sector under hot weather.
Uncle: “The construction industry should be banned from working for 10 days”
Pointing out that the temperatures in our country get very high from mid-July to mid-August, Uncle stated that they are uncomfortable with the fact that most of the members of the Subcontractors’ Union work under the sun. Stating that they are carrying out some work in this direction, Uncle stated that they shared the work carried out by the Ministry of Labor and Social Security and other institutions of the state and talked about the content of these studies;
Uncle continued his explanation as follows;
”As the Cyprus Turkish Construction Subcontractors Association, we carried out a team work due to the weather temperatures experienced every year and presented it to the Ministry of Labor and Social Security. We have proposed a solution by taking into account all the conditions, by experiencing the problems we have experienced, and by taking the opinions of many people. August 1-10 are the hottest days in our country. We demanded that this 10-day period be applied to registered workers in our country, as in the practice in Southern Cyprus, for both increasing the working quality of the worker and for occupational health and safety. While doing this, we suggested that half of the daily wages of the workers be covered by the state from the “Domestic Employment Contribution Fund” and half by the employer. Although we make this suggestion every year, we have not received any feedback. Since we think that these figures are possible, we demanded that this issue be implemented immediately, effective decisions should be taken and the next years should be planned. There is a committee that we persistently set up in the Ministry of Labor and Social Security. This committee; It is the committee that prepares the Labor Regulations, Occupational Health and Safety Law and Regulation of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security. This committee includes Cyprus Turkish Construction Contractors Association (KTİTB), Cyprus Turkish Construction Contractors Association (KTİMB), KTMMOB, Universities and municipalities. No work has been done in this committee for 3-4 months. These issues should be discussed in this committee, decisions should be taken and spread throughout the country. This initiative is an initiative that will strengthen the hand of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security. Success will come when they put into practice the decisions taken by the committee, without taking any responsibility.
These workers, working at an air temperature above 40 degrees, not only do not get worn out, but also increase their productivity. Since many employers work in the field with their workers, employers are also in this cycle. Therefore, the work ban, which includes the dates of 1-10 August, will be an opportunity for both the employer and the employee to rest and rest.
The solution must be equal
Uncle evaluated the statements made by some groups and drew attention to the fact that the solution for the prohibition of work at noon was good, but it was problematic in practice. Uncle said, “If you send the worker to his home at 12:00 in the nearby areas, he can rest until 15:00 and come back to work. It will not work during the hottest hours, but it is not the same for those who work in remote areas. Not all places are the same in the construction industry. For example, this solution is nice, but the implementation is problematic. Therefore, employers can solve the problem by determining their own working hours, not external pressures. Those working in the nearby area may not work from 11:00 to 15:00, while those working in the remote area may start at 05:00 and end at 11:00. In this one month period, the employer can find his own solution. There are many solution models. In addition, the entire construction industry does not work under hot weather. Occupations such as painters, plasterers and plumbers do not work in heat. The inspectors who go to the inspection should not go knowing this and penalize those who work in the shadows. In addition, inspectors who carry out inspections should give a warning first and punish those who do not comply with the warning. The entire industry is not in the same category. You have to be conscious.”
Unions pay for workers in the south
Referring to the practice in Southern Cyprus, Uncle Osman, President of the Cyprus Turkish Subcontractors Union, stated that the unions there paid this money to the employees, before the work ban on August 1-15, with the contribution they cut from the employers for a year.
Referring to the advantages of being a union member, Uncle said that unionization in the private sector is not yet available in our country, since this has not yet been fully implemented in the system. Mentioning that unionization in the private sector will take many years, Uncle underlined that it is necessary to start from somewhere.
