TUI Transport, Ports, Fishery and Communication, the sectoral organization of WFTU representing millions of workers throughout the world declares its firm solidarity with the workers who are employed in the respective sectors contributing to the continuation of the life in the frontline amid the Covid-19 Pandemic wreaking havoc on millions of people in almost every corner of the world.
In spite of the strict necessity of staying home to avoid the Coronavirus infection, millions of workers in our sectors are obliged to work under very harsh and dangerous circumstances. This is a direct indication of the fact that the workers employed in these sectors have a key role in the continuation of the production and services. The sectors of transport, ports, fishery and communication are among the most needed ones in all immediate production and service units.
Together with the health workers who are fighting bravely against the Pandemic in the frontline, those providing the people with their basic needs and services are the public bus drivers, ambulance drivers, conductors, tram drivers, subway workers, airport transportation workers, dockers, marine workers, drivers employed in municipal services, workers in communication sector and so on. Also, as a result of stay- home precaution, online shopping is becoming more and more widespread in all over the world and the work load of cargo workers is even increasing day by day and they are now more and more exposed to a possible infection of Covid-19.
It’s an undeniable fact that the workers in transport, ports, fishery and communication sectors are among those who are in the high risk group as they always come to close contact with the people owing to their working conditions. Another doubtless reality is that neither governments nor Capitalist employers take the necessary precautions so as to provide these workers with safe and healthy working conditions.
And unfortunately it is always the workers who suffer the bitter consequences of the indifference of governments and private employers for taking the immediate and necessary steps to save workers’ health. Here are just a few examples:
– Scott Ryan, a bus driver in Snohomish County, Washington, who was the first member of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) in the USA, died of Covid-19 as well as conductor Peter Patrassi and bus operator Oliver Cyrus from Transport Workers Union of America (TWU) Local 100 in New York City.
– According to the statements made by Sicora Union in Argentina, the Argentinian government and employers do not take necessary precautions and the workers in transport sector are obliged to work in the closest contact with the people without any safety measures. Moreover, workers should pay for their own personal protective equipment during working hours!
– According to London Mayor Sadıq Khan, fourteen transport workers died of Coronavirus in London.
These are just the examples of the threat the transport workers face in all over the world every day.
It should also be underlined that yellow unions in all around the world just confine themselves to sit back and watch the situation without doing anything by their very nature.
As TUI Transport, Ports, Fishery and Communication, class oriented organization of the workers in respective sectors, we demand necessary precautions to be taken immediately by the governments and Capitalists for safe, healthy and dignified working conditions for the workers employed in our sectors. It should never be ignored that the workers in our sectors need more and more precautions as they work in closer contact with the people, which increases the risk of a probable contagion of Coronavirus.
Once again we point out that, the life of a single worker is more important and valuable than the total profits made by all the governments and employers in the world!