The Turkish Union of Road, Construction and Building Workers (YOL-IS), responding to reports that many health workers cannot go home and rest for fear that they might infect their families with COVID-19, has made its hotels, guesthouses and other social facilities in several cities available to the frontliners.
The union has also taken steps to demand employers to implement protective measures for workers who are still at work, such as strict social distancing among workers in dining halls, locker rooms and in accommodation facilities to mitigate the risk of spreading the disease.
(Photo: Umit Bektas/Reuters)
YOL-IS has also pushed for the reduced hours per work shifts and for paid leave for the workers that are particularly vulnerable of serious health issues should they contract the virus.
Additionally, the union has demanded half occupancy in transport vehicles which requires doubling the number of transport vehicles used by workers, to comply with social distancing protocols.
The union has reported that while Turkey is not yet under a total lockdown, the government has imposed a partial curfew for citizens under the age of 20 and above 65 as part of the measures imposed to curb the spread of the virus in the country.