Kurdish-PKK-Communist
18th April 2014, 21:24
Seasonal agricultural workers who migrated from Kurdistan cities to Adana say they want to celebrate the May Day in their lands.
Ayşe Uslu, mother of six, who migrated from Şirnex (Şırnak) to Adana for political and economic reasons 18 years ago works as seasonal agricultural worker.
She tells that her children are left hungry in the days they do not work, and complains; We are working hard without knowing about the May Day, holidays and feast days. And we can never get our money's worth.
Uslu reminds that they were cultivating their own lands while in Şirnex which they were forced to leave, and complains that they get only 20 TL in return for their 15-hour-long work a day in Adana.
None of us has health insurance. Our children cannot go to school, they have to come to the field and work there with us, Uslu says and demands that their rights also be defended on the May Day.
Vahap Baysal, Chairperson of the Association of Agricultural Workers in Ceyhan, points out that they were forced to migrate from their lands and driven to poverty in Turkish metropolitan cities. It was not until the Association was founded that we knew about the May Day. So far, we have always worked on workers' day when we will however be in areas this year, he adds.
Baysal notes that they face great economic problems in some seasons when they cannot work for days due to heavy rain.
Complaining that the state doesn't see agricultural workers, Baysal adds; In this country where our peoples are being divided and we are being deprived of our freedoms, we want our voice to be heard now.
He adds that they want to celebrate the May Day freely in their own lands.
Ayşe Uslu, mother of six, who migrated from Şirnex (Şırnak) to Adana for political and economic reasons 18 years ago works as seasonal agricultural worker.
She tells that her children are left hungry in the days they do not work, and complains; We are working hard without knowing about the May Day, holidays and feast days. And we can never get our money's worth.
Uslu reminds that they were cultivating their own lands while in Şirnex which they were forced to leave, and complains that they get only 20 TL in return for their 15-hour-long work a day in Adana.
None of us has health insurance. Our children cannot go to school, they have to come to the field and work there with us, Uslu says and demands that their rights also be defended on the May Day.
Vahap Baysal, Chairperson of the Association of Agricultural Workers in Ceyhan, points out that they were forced to migrate from their lands and driven to poverty in Turkish metropolitan cities. It was not until the Association was founded that we knew about the May Day. So far, we have always worked on workers' day when we will however be in areas this year, he adds.
Baysal notes that they face great economic problems in some seasons when they cannot work for days due to heavy rain.
Complaining that the state doesn't see agricultural workers, Baysal adds; In this country where our peoples are being divided and we are being deprived of our freedoms, we want our voice to be heard now.
He adds that they want to celebrate the May Day freely in their own lands.