730 workers lost their lives in occupational homicides this year

The Occupational Health and Safety Assembly (ISIG) has announced the ‘Report of Murders at Work’ for the first 5 months of 2023. According to the report; In the first five months of this year, 730 and at least 31,276 workers have lost their lives in occupational homicides since 2002, when the AKP was in power.

In the report, it was stated that 120,000-360,000 workers in Turkey were diagnosed with occupational diseases, and that SGK announced about 5-20 deaths from occupational diseases every year, but this number was 5-6 times more than deaths from diseases. professionals. to occupational homicides.

‘APPROXIMATELY 32 THOUSAND WORKERS DID IT IN THE AKP YEARS’

In the ‘Murders at Work Report’ announced today by the OHS Assembly for the first 5 months of this year, the following was recorded:

Presidential and parliamentary elections were held from May 14 to 28. The People’s Alliance won a majority in Turkey’s Grand National Assembly and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was re-elected president. So what awaits us workers in the field of ‘labour protection’ in the coming period? To do this, just look at the last 21 years. During the AKP years, almost 32,000 workers lost their lives while on the job.

In these years, speeches like ‘New Turkey’, ‘domestic and domestic policies’, ‘advanced Turkey’, ‘economic development’ and ‘growth’ were always the language of AKP and Erdoğan staff. On the contrary, a regime of labor murders was implemented, in which laws were enacted against workers every year, high inflation and a gradual decrease in purchasing power, constant pressure against the struggles for rights and freedoms, and precarious working conditions. This is the summary of 21 years.

‘DEATHS DUE TO OCCUPATIONAL ILLNESS ARE HIDDEN’

Let us remind you in more detail on this point: The prevailing situation in our country is the existence of a ‘regime that kills work’. Many worker massacres like Soma, Davutpaşa, Ostim, Torunlar, Isparta, Düzce, Ermenek, Esenyurt, Erzurum, Samsun, Güllük, Elbistan, Şırnak, Dursunbey, Hendek, 3rd airport, Tuzla shipyards and denim sandblasting had place in this period.

Every year between 4 and 12 new cases of occupational diseases are expected for every thousand workers. In other words, every year between 120,000 and 360,000 workers in Turkey suffer from occupational diseases. Again, deaths from occupational diseases are about 5 to 6 times higher than deaths from occupational homicides. However, SSI detects about 500 occupational diseases each year and announces 5 to 20 deaths related to occupational diseases each year. However, in this period, death from occupational diseases occurred 5-6 times the number explained above. The state hid occupational diseases.

‘EVERY YEAR 60-70 CHILDREN LOSE THEIR LIVES WHILE WORKING’

The state did not even comply with its own laws, child laborers were not protected. Children under the age of 15 are also employed, in addition to working in branches where work is prohibited. Every year, between 60 and 70 children, a third of whom are 14 years old or younger, lose their lives while working due to poverty, the 4+4+4 education system, apprenticeships and internships, and the creation of the backbone of temporary workers. children’s farm work

‘APPROXIMATELY 120-150 WOMEN LOSE THEIR LIVES WHILE WORKING’

Women worked in the most precarious conditions in agriculture, industry and the service sector. The flip side of these working conditions was violence and harassment in the workplace. Women’s domestic work – cleaning, cooking, caring for children and the elderly – has also been made invisible. Around 120-150 women die each year while working.

As a result of misguided internal and external policies, Türkiye has been inundated with millions of refugees. The immigrants, who were close to 10 percent of the population, worked in uninsured, cheap, exclusive conditions, that is, completely unprotected. Recently, around 100 migrant workers have lost their lives every year.”

“AT LEAST 730 WORKERS LOSE THEIR LIVES IN THE FIRST FIVE MONTHS OF 2023”

The report included the following data on the murder of workers:

“As far as we have determined, based on the information we have obtained from the national press, 70 percent and 30 percent of co-workers, family members, occupational safety experts, occupational physicians, unions, and local press, in the first five months of 2023 (120 in January, 213 in February, in March) At least 730 workers lost their lives (130, 122 in April and 145 in May).

The distribution of occupational homicides in the first five months of 2023 according to their causes is as follows:

161 workers due to traffic accident, service; 110 workers due to the earthquake; 109 workers due to crushing and dents; 93 workers due to a fall from a height; 86 workers due to heart attack, brain hemorrhage; 28 workers due to explosion, fire; 26 workers for poisoning, drowning; 24 workers due to violence; 21 workers due to electric shock; 17 workers for suicide; 10 workers due to being struck by an object, fall; 5 workers for cutting, breaking; 40 workers lost their lives from other causes.

‘4 CHILDREN AGES 14 AND UNDER LOSE THEIR LIVES’

The distribution of occupational homicides by age group in the first five months of 2023 is as follows: 4 child workers aged 14 and under, 7 child/youth workers aged 15 to 17, 153 workers aged 18 to 29, 314 workers from 30 to 49 years old, 50-156 workers from 64 years of age, 36 workers from 65 years of age and over, 60 workers whose age we do not know lost their lives”. (PHOENIX)