Around 80 Turkish workers at the Fortina construction site in Sliema are on hunger strike after being left unpaid for months of work.

A dispute between Fortina and Turkish company TACA Construction has left the workers, who reportedly worked 11-hour shifts for €1,200 a month,  without pay for five months and have received threats of deportation by government officials, according to The Malta Independent.

“We will not go back until we are paid in full for our work,” one worker said.

The two companies involved are in dispute over the workers’ salaries. While local company Fortina says it has already paid the Turkish company, TACA Construction denies this, claiming payments are handled by a sub-contractor.

Times of Malta reported that TACA Construction was unaware that any of its workers were on hunger strike, saying “everybody has eaten their meal as planned”.

TACA Construction insisted that it will pay the workers according to the conditions of their contract, but workers said that they will continue to protest until they are paid.

Photos: Glen Falzon, TVM

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