When a worker dies it is referred to as “the accident” or “the nature of the things”; when metal workers go to strike for their rights they refer to threats to “national security” … At least 125 workers lost their lives in January 2015…

2460 Okunma
07.05.2015
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Workers’ Health and Safety Assembly – WHSA (İşçi Sağlığı ve İş Güvenliği Meclisi) is a labour organization consisting of (private sector) workers, public employees, victims’ families, doctors, engineers, academicians, journalists and their organizations; it coordinates - independent of state and capital – their common struggle for safety and health at workplaces…

AKP Government’s aspect as the enemy of workers has been disclosed once more. As the 15 thousand metal workers who are members of United Metal Workers Union (BMIS) went to strike in 22 factories in 10 towns, the cabinet has suspended the strike the day after it started - after the request of MESS (Metal Industry Employers’ Union) - for 60 days on the grounds that it had “upset the national security”. With that, the number of suspended strikes under the AKP Government has reached 8. We are hereby calling once more: We are on the side of metal workers. AKP Government should take measures to prevent workers’ deaths rather than suspending the strikes.

Based on what we could monitor throughout the January month of 2015 from print press, visual and digital media, and the information we have received from both labour organisations, professional bodies, and the statements made by the victims’ relatives, we can say that at least 125 workers have lost their lives in January 2015…

Here is the summary of January 2015 corporate murders.

The number of workers’ deaths are on the increase…

January 2013: 81 workers died.

Jaunary 2014: 101 workers died.

January 2015: 125 workers died.

The cases of workers’ deaths concentrate mostly to the construction, transport, agriculture and energy branches…

29 workers in the construction / road construction branch;

23 workers from the transport branch;

13 workers in the branch of agriculture and;

10 workers from the energy branch lost their lives in January 2015…

Workers mostly died in traffic accidents when travelling on worker-transport vehicles, or falling, or crash due to caving in of the working areas…

41 workers died in traffic accidents while travelling in worker-transport vehicles

21 workers died due to falling,

15 workers died due to crash/caving in of the working areas…

In corporate murders during the month of January 2015,

5 female workers,

3 child workers,

6 migrant workers died.

Corporate murders happened most frequently in Antalya, Istanbul, Koaceli and Adana…

12 workers died in Antalya and Istanbul each,

9 died in Kocaeli and

8 workers died in Adana…

Workers should be able to choose their unions freely and they should have job security…