One worker dies every four hours in Turkey

Sinan GÜLER
Ankara

In a statement that Veli Ağbaba, CHP Deputy General Chair and Labour Offices General Coordinator, made to mark 28 April World Day for Safety and Health at Work, he indicated that on average between three to five workers lose their lives each day in Turkey, that is, a worker dies every four hours.

The statement, noting that worker health and work safety is one of the most basic elements of working life of interest to all employees, stresses that insufficient attention is paid to the matter both globally and in Turkey. Indicating that according to International Labour Organization (ILO) reports more than 370 million workers are affected by workplace accidents annually, the statement says, “Each year 2.7 million workers lose their lives to work accidents or occupational disease.” The briefing notes that each day sees seven thousand workers lose their lives while working or from occupational diseases they have contracted.

WORK HEALTH AND SAFETY LAW AFFORDS NO PROTECTION

Noting that Turkey ranks third globally and first among EU countries for workers’ deaths, the briefing indicates that from official and unofficial data at least 22,000 workers have lost their lives in the past seventeen years in Turkey. Stating that work accidents were on a constant increase in the period 2012-2017, the briefing reads, “Sadly, on average between three to five workers lose their lives to lack of supervision each day in Turkey. That is, on average one worker loses their life in work manslaughters every four hours.” Stressing that both work accidents and worker fatalities had increased systematically since the Work Health and Safety Law number 6331 took effect in 2012, the briefing states that 11,494 workers fell victim to work manslaughter in the period 2012-2018. The briefing reveals the sectors in which worker deaths are most prevalent to be agriculture, transport and construction.

15,000 OCCUPATIONAL DISEASE DEATHS ANNUALLY

Indicating that workers’ deaths from occupational disease are treated as work manslaughter, the briefing points out that deaths related to occupational disease are not recorded in Turkey. Saying, “It is thought that an average of between 100,000 and 300,000 workers have contracted occupational disease in our country,” the briefing notes that an average of 15,000 workers suffer occupational disease-related deaths each year. Pointing out that measures taken against occupational disease in Turkey fall short, the briefing notes that there are only two hospitals that give occupational disease-related treatment.

WORKERS’ SUICIDES SHOULD BE INCLUDED UNDER WORK ACCIDENTS

Noting that worker suicides are increasing day by day, the briefing states that the basic causes for these suicides are indebtedness, mobbing and unemployment. Mentioning that at least 334 workers in Turkey ended their lives by committing suicide in the past five years, the briefing reveals that at least 90 workers committed suicide in 2016 and at least 89 in 2017. The briefing declares that workers’ suicides should be included under work accidents. 

(Translated by Tim Drayton)