El-Sen strikes over worker safety and missing Kib-Tek financial statements

Nicosia, Cyprus. Turkish Cypriot electricity workers’ trade union El-Sen went on strike on Monday after a worker suffered serious injuries in an explosion at a transformer station last week. The union demanded better physical protection for electricity infrastructure workers and answers over five years of missing financial statements from Turkish Cypriot electricity authority Kib-Tek.

Workers block headquarters entrance

Workers gathered outside Kib-Tek’s headquarters in Nicosia, close to the transformer station. During the morning, they barricaded the entrance and refused to allow board members into the building.

Kib-Tek board member Baris Tilki was outside the building in his car when El-Sen leader Ahmet Tugcu confronted him with questions about investment and worker protection.

“Why have investments not been made until now? Why has the necessary value not been given to the workers? Why have the necessary uniforms not been purchased for Arif Ozkirac and other Kib-Tek workers? Why are workers getting injured?” Tugcu asked.

The injured worker, identified in the report as Arif Ozkiraf, remains in intensive care following the explosion.

Union leader challenges board membership and promotions

Tugcu later told newspaper Yeniduzen that Tilki was an “illegal board member”, alleging that he had private interests in the solar energy industry. The legislation governing Kib-Tek expressly prohibits such interests.

Tugcu also accused the board of attempting to offer promotions to “three cronies” in the authority’s upper ranks. Promotions in bodies run by the Turkish Cypriot authorities are set to be restricted later this week ahead of elections in December.

Scuffle and journalist’s complaint

Later in the day, workers entered the building and a scuffle broke out.

Kibris Genc TV journalist Ahmet Karagozlu was allegedly physically prevented from filming the incident, during which his mobile phone screen was reportedly broken. He reported the incident to police.

Strike to continue unless demands are met

At the end of the day, Tugcu said the strike would continue on Tuesday and beyond unless the union’s demands were met.

He said workers must be provided with “the requisite clothing and equipment”. The union also demanded that vacancies be publicly announced and all applicants take examinations before personnel are appointed, and that promotions require written examinations.

Tugcu further demanded that the man accused of “attacking” Karagozlu inside the building be relieved of his duties.