127 Killed on the Job in September

According to a report released by Worker Health and Work Security Assembly, at least 127 workers were killed from work-related injuries in September.

Overall in 2013, 227 workers lost their lives in traffic/shuttle accidents.

The report also cited data from Traffic Police authorities, saying that at least 1,600 people were slain in traffic accident across Turkey. 

“In every 100 traffic accident-related deaths, there is at least 14 workplace mortalities,” the report said. 

“Transportation,” the report continued, “is a part of work. Most transportation related workplace mortalities occur due to long working hours around 16-18 hours and lack of resting mechanisms.” 

Among other reasons included wrong choice of vehicles (such as closed minivans and tractors) for transport or not assigning any shuttle choice at all and leave worker to arrange their own transport. 

127 deaths in September 

Some of the highlights from last months workplace mortalities included:

*In Sakarya province, 30 seasonal fruit picking workers including Nazlı Gülfer, Hülya Yeltekin, Nermin Yeltekin, Hatice Fidan, Serpil Avcı, Nesrin Ağaçdelen, Emine Hatun Çöl and Hacer Yıldız lost their lives.  

*26 construction workers lost their lives with almost half of them due to falls in government-led TOKI and other private construction sites. 

*22 transportation workers with a majority of truck drivers were killed under traffic accident category. 

*20 female and 107 male workers were killed in September.

*7 child workers: Nazar Güvendiren (9) in cleaning, Sami Kozan (13) in steel, Vefa Aydemir (15) in construction, Ali Karkaş, Faruk Dumlupınar and İlhan Yiğit (17) in steel, Faruk Can Güvenç (17) in agriculture. 

*Regional distribution of deaths: Sakarya (10), İstanbul (8), Şanlıurfa (7), Konya (6) and Tekirdağ (5). 

Kazova workers’ demands 

The report also mentioned Kazova workers, a textile labor group who occupied their factory and resumed producing after being fired. 

It added that the factory’s new owner gave Kazova workers a deadline until December to evict the factory premisses. However, Kazova workers reportedly refused to rent out a section of the factory or receive payments from their previous employers.   “They want to own their own machines. Because they are aiming to form a cooperative and resume production without a boss,” the report said. (YY/BM)

* Click here to read the original article in Turkish.