Page 23 - KAZOVA - ENGLISH
P. 23

In the meantime, attacks continued. On the morning of the
          first day we made sales, people came from the electricity authority.
          They said we had a debt of 2000 Turkish lira and they would cut
          off the electricity. We said this was not our debt and they should
          get the money from Umit Somuncu. They persisted in trying to
          cut off the electricity. We would not allow them, then they tried

          to switch off the generator, again we would not let them and then
          they departed, saying they would call the police.

               The DIH gave us some information about Arpagut. Workers
          in a coal mine in Corum Province had been laid off after it was
          claimed their coal was causing harm. Like us, they were owed
          wages. The workers were occupying the mine. The people in the
          area needed coal because without it they could not fire up their
          ovens to bake bread, nor could Turkish bath workers heat the

          baths up. The workers wanted to sell the coal they had produced.
          By selling coal they would make the money they were entitled to
          and also keep the mine operating. The occupation was finally
          ended by a military operation.

               The event affected the Kazova workers very much. We too
          could do it, we had the means of production, we could produce
          and sell and we had experience. At least as far as making the
          money that we were owed anyway, but our machines were broken.

          When the boss went he thought the machines were worthless but
          he interfered with the motors anyway and did material damage to
          them.

               We completed the partially manufactured sweaters, we sold
          them and had some money coming in. We decided to reserve this
          for repairing the machinery. We were both selling sweaters and at-

                                         23
   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28