Due to the Covid-19 pandemic that has left behind a year, on the one hand, new laws were enacted and layoffs were banned, and on the other hand, thousands of workers were dismissed with the "Code-29", which was excluded from this prohibition.

 

Workers whose contracts are terminated due to the Code-29, which includes "situations that do not comply with the rules of ethics and goodwill", cannot receive severance and notice pay, nor can they benefit from unemployment allowance.

 

According to trade unions and workers, with the Covid-29, employers were presented with the right to violate the rights of the workers on a silver plate.

 

According to the data announced by the Social Security Institution, in 2020, 176.662 workers were dismissed on grounds of "Code-29". One of them is İzzettin Akan, who has been fired from Bayrampaşa Municipality under the AKP administration, where he had been working for 15 years.

 

Akın is just one of those workers who resisted in many parts of the country with the demand of "removing the Code-29".

 

15 YEARS OF LABOR

 

Akın, who was fired with Code-29 while waiting for the recognition of his legal rights in the municipality where he worked for years, stated that attitude toward someone who worked for 15 years should not be like this.

 

Explaining that he was fired as a result of the games played by the municipality administration, Akın said; "I was a worker representative for 15 years. Even a worker cannot say that I treated them badly or insulted anyone. Because I was like a brother to all of them. Unfortunately, the management stirred the waters and dispersed us all. It made us all against each other. I have not broken anyone's hearts for 15 years, but this management has set us all against each other. He constantly hired false witnesses and fired people. I warned my friends not to perjure and stand with each others. They fired me as a result of that." 

 

BETRAYAL TO WORKERS

 

Akın stated that with the Code-29, not only the employees but also their families were punished. Underlining that the Code-29 was the greatest "betrayal" that have been done to the workers so far, Akın said: "When a worker is fired due to Code-29, they find a way, but what should the family do. I have 3 children, we are a family of 5. I do not know how to get by. We have electricity, water and natural gas bills. I have no other income. The landlord will manage us for a maximum of 1 month, or what will I eat and drink, where I will stay? I am calling out to authorized people; this should be stopped immediately, Code-29 regulation should be removed. Our psychology is getting worse everyday."

 

'SOLIDARITY SAVES LIVES'

 

Akın shared that although he applied for mutliple jobs, he was not hired due to the Code-29 and emphasized that the workers can only get over this situation with solidarity.

 

Underlining that they will continue to fight until their demands are met, Akın said; "Even if our action continues for another 10 years, we will never stop this resistance, we will continue to fight against it."