575 Deaths in Occupational Accidents

"As far as we were able to track from newspapers and internet sites and according to our classification, 575 people died in 2010 and 2410 people were injured. Our previous reports showed contradictions between official numbers and the real data. Let alone the state preventing accidents, we had communicated that the state cannot even provide for correct statistics."

These words are part of the 2010 "Report on Social Rights Violation" prepared by the Social Rights Association (SHD). Activists and volunteers as part of the association have monitored "social rights violations" since the organization was established. Monthly reports were previously published on the organization's internet site. Since 2007, the association is publishing quarterly reports.

The 2009 annual report contained a social evaluation on an annual basis and with the size of a book it listed rights violations one by one. The 2010 annual report was again published in the format of a book with support of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.

All fields of social rights included

The report includes a comprehensive list of subjects in the field of social rights. Examples for rights violations in these fields within that year are presented in monthly breakdowns.

These areas comprise decent working conditions, social security, unionization, the right to strike and collective bargaining, work-based accidents and occupational illnesses, discrimination related to gender, sexual orientation, ethnic and religious identity, harassment, children's rights, child labour, agriculture and manufacturer's rights, housing rights, health rights, the right to education, the rights of the disabled, social policies and benefits.

Every section contains an analysis of the field followed by concrete examples.

These detailed analyses were made by academics and activists like Hakan Güneş, Demet Ş. Dinler, Nazır Kapusuz, Serap Altun, Neşe Şahin Taşgın, Dilek Karabulut, Mustafa Sütlaş or Serdar Yazıcı. They include conclusions and concrete recommendations.

The last part of the 381-page report contains a section on "articles" with expert articles and declarations and announcements of the SHD and other organization that focus on social rights.

Hakan Güneş, co-author of the report, writes in the introduction, "None of the incidents included in this report is fictional. All violations mentioned in this report could have been prevented. They all occur as the result of a socio-economic basis created by the people, or to be more accurate by the decisions of the political power and their savings".

The report is a useful tool to detect the current situation and create a memory base under the aspect of social rights. Furthermore, it is a very important source for groups who are leading an active struggle and for concretizing their struggle and demands. The Turkish version of the 2010 report can be obtained from the association. The report for 2011 is still in progress. (KLS/HK/VK)