Turkey faced a troubling year for labor rights in 2024, with at least 1,897 workers losing their lives in job-related accidents, according to the Health and Safety Labor Watch (İSİG).
People have been suffering from lax work safety standards for decades in Turkey, where workplace accidents are nearly a daily occurrence. According to İSİG, more than 30,000 work-related accidents have taken place since the Justice and Development Party (AKP) came to power in November 2002.
İSİG General Coordinator Murat Çakır said the reason for the record number of fatalities in occupational accidents has to do with the policies of the AKP, which he said aim to turn Turkey into a source of cheap labor for Europe.
According to Çakır, workers feel obliged to work under unsafe conditions fearing that they will become jobless and unable to support their families.
Weak safety policies have severely impacted underage workers, with vocational schools facing criticism for poor occupational safety measures and the exploitation of student labor.
There are currently more than 1 million students enrolled in vocational education schools (MESEM). According to regulations MESEM students attend one day of school and work in the relevant industry the rest of the week. However, students say they work up to 10 hours a day, six days a week. Most of these students come from poor families and are paid less than the minimum wage for their labor.
Alarmingly, these students have been working in dangerous conditions and under lax occupational safety measures. Several MESEM students have died in workplace accidents, and authorities have not taken any measures to prevent such fatalities.
Here is some of the most important news from 2024 in the area of labor rights:
Former union leader criticized Turkish vocational schools for exploiting student labor
Former union leader Feray Aytekin Aydoğan criticized Turkish vocational schools for lax occupational safety measures and for exploiting their students’ labor. More…
Sexually harassed underage female employee told by boss to ’get used to it’
A female high school student who was allegedly subjected to sexual harassment while working at a logistics firm in İstanbul was told by her boss to “get used to it.” The incident took place at Sertrans Lojistik, where the student was working as part of a cooperation scheme between the company and a vocational training center. More…
Death toll of minors in Turkey’s vocational training centers rose to 9 amid safety concerns
The death toll of minors working in Turkey’s vocational training centers, known as MESEM, rose to nine for the 2023-2024 academic year, raising safety concerns. More…
695 child laborers died in workplace accidents in Turkey in last 11 years
At least 695 minors died in workplace accidents in Turkey between 2013 and May 2024. More…
Gendarmes beat, detain 16 during strike by union members
A strike at a food production factory in the Kemalpaşa district of Izmir escalated into gendarmes beating and detaining three union executives and 13 workers. More…
Labor union recommended raising Turkey’s minimum wage 4 times a year due to record inflation
The research center from a leading labor union in Turkey said in its latest report that the Turkish government should increase the monthly minimum wage four times a year to tackle high inflation and a cost-of-living crisis in Turkey. More…
More than 1,000 dead or missing in Turkey’s maritime accidents in 8 years
Turkey has since 2016 recorded a total of 3,223 maritime accidents in which 677 people died and 390 went missing. More…
Turkey has lost more than 2,000 miners in work related accidents under AKP rule
Turkey has tragically lost at least 2,188 miners in work-related accidents since the Justice and Development Party (AKP) came to power in November 2002, which reveals the country’s failure to protect the lives of its workers. More…
3 construction workers died in workplace accident, again raising occupational safety concerns in Turkey
Three construction workers in Ankara’s Sincan district died when a scaffolding collapsed, once again raising concerns about workplace safety in Turkey. More…
Worker died after chrome mine accident in southeastern Turkey
Halil İbrahim Yolcu, a 50-year-old chrome mine worker, died after suffering critical injuries when a rock fell on his head at a mine in Adana’s Aladağ district, once again raising concerns about workplace safety in Turkey. More…
At least 425 workers died in occupational accidents in first quarter of 2024
Turkey recorded at least 425 deaths in work-related accidents in the first quarter of 2024. More…
At least 2,500 young workers died in occupational accidents in a decade
Turkey has recorded at least 2,500 deaths in work-related accidents since 2013. Most of the fatal workplace accidents occurred in the construction sector, accounting for 26 percent of all incidents, followed by agriculture and forestry, which made up 17 percent. More…
At least 1,371 workers died in occupational accidents in first three quarters of 2024
Turkey recorded at least 1,371 deaths in work-related accidents in the first nine months of 2024. More…
Nearly 2,000 workers died in occupational accidents in Turkey in 2024
Turkey recorded at least 1,897 deaths in work-related accidents in 2024. Most of the fatal workplace accidents occurred in the construction sector, which accounted for 25 percent of the total, followed by transportation with 12 percent and agriculture with 9 percent. İstanbul led all provinces in the number of occupational accidents. More…
Labor union protested TurkStat over inflation figures
The Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions (DİSK) gathered outside the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) in Ankara to protest the latest inflation data, claiming that the figures do not reflect the real economic challenges faced by Turkish citizens. More…
