414 Workers Killed on the Job in May

According to the report by Worker’s Health and Safety Assembly, at least 414 workers lost their lives in the month of May, in which the workplace murder in Soma mine occurred.

Among the deceased workers, 10 of them were women, 404 of them were men and 2 of them were children.

810 workers died in 2014 so far

At least 810 workers lost their lives in the first five months of 2014, including May. Monthly numbers of the workplace murders are as below; 87 workers in January, 77 workers in February, 117 workers in March, 115 workers in May and 414 workers in May.

387 of the 414 workers who lost their lives in May were workers and wage-laborers in officer position; 24 of them were farmers/small-holder farmers, and 3 of them were independent workers/tradespeople.

According to sectors

303 workers died in the mining sector, 37 workers died in the agricultural and forestry sectors, 30 workers died in construction and road construction sectors, 12 workers died in the transport sector, 4 workers died in the petrochemical industry and rubber sector, 4 workers died in the steel sector, 4 workers died in the hospitality and entertainment sectors, 4 workers died in the municipal work, 3 workers died in the energy sector, 3 workers died in Defense and Security industries, 2 workers died in Food and Sugar industry, 2 workers died in the textile and leather industry, 2 workers died in the paper industry, 1 worker died in trade, bureau, education, cinema sectors, 1 worker died in health and social services sectors. And the line of work of 2 workers couldn't be identified.

Causalities

304 deaths occurred because of intoxication and drowning; 29 because of traffic and service accidents; 25 deaths because of landslip and being crushes; 21 deaths because of falling; and 20 deaths because of other reasons (heart attack, suicide, stroke of lighting, assault, occupation diseases, etc. ); 10 deaths because of electric shock; 3 deaths because of explosions and burnings; 2 deaths because of item falling or hitting.

The deaths from occupation diseases are also considered within the category of the ‘deaths from other reasons’.  In May, three farmers, and textile worker Murat Sevgial (28) have lost their lives due to Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever and Silicosis respectively.

Age groups

1 child worker age 14 and younger, 1 child/young worker between the ages 15-17, 71 workers between the ages 18-27, 210 workers between the ages 28-50, 35 workers ages 51 and older died due to workplace murders. Besides the age of 96 deceased workers couldn't be identified.

The children workers who lost their lives in May: The shepherd Yasir Geylani (14) has died while grazing sheep due to truck crash in Mardin’s Nusaybin district. However on May 19 Youth and Sports Day, construction worker Yılmaz İdareci (19) has died by falling down from the 8th floor in Ankara’s Eryaman district.

According to cities 

305 deaths occurred in Manisa; 12 deaths in İstanbul; 5 deaths each in Adıyaman, Bursa, Kocaeli and Muğla; 4 deaths each in Aydın, Mardin and Samsun; 3 deaths each in Aksaray, Erzurum, Gaziantep, Hatay, Sakarya and Tekirdağ; 2 deaths each in Ankara, Antalya, Bingöl, Çorum, Edirne, Elazığ, Isparta, İzmir, Kastamonu, Kayseri, Konya, Ordu, Rize ve Zonguldak; 1 death each in Adana, Ağrı, Artvin, Bitlis, Burdur, Denizli, Diyarbakır, Giresun, Gümüşhane, Iğdır, Kilis, Mersin, Niğde, Osmaniye, Sivas, Şırnak, Tokat, Yozgat and Iran. 

“The main liable party of Soma is the Ministry of Energy”

The report stated that the number one liable party of the Soma workplace murder, in which 301 miner died, is Minister of Energy Taner Yıldız and the other liable ones are Turkish Coal Enterprise (TKI), a governmental institution responsible from the mining activities, Soma Holding and Minister of Labor, and all liable parties should be imposed the heaviest penalty.  (NV/CB/BM)

* Click here to read the article in Turkish.