2,664 young workers lost their lives in 12 years

Labour Service

While millions of labourers are forced to work facing death every day as no precautions are taken, the rise in work-related deaths continues. According to the report published by the ISIG Assembly (Health and Safety Labor Watch), at-least 2664 young workers between the ages of 18-25 died at work in the last 12 years.

As workers continue to lose their lives in work-related deaths due to negligence, lack of precaution, the deaths of young workers are increasing. According to the report published by ISIG Assembly (Health and Safety Labor Watch), between 2013 and 2024, at least 2664 young workers between the ages of 18 and 25 lost their lives in work-related deaths.

While 2023 was the year with the highest number of work-related deaths of young workers with 260 deaths, 2022 ranked second with 252 deaths. Last year in 2024, 239 young workers lost their lives while working due to untaken precautions and negligence. While traffic and transport accidents were the biggest cause of work-related deaths with 24 percent, most young workers died in the construction and road industry.

BOTH CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE DIE AT WORK

Regarding the age distribution of work-related deaths, it was observed that 523 of those who lost their lives were 25 years old. While the age at which the highest number of young workers died was 25, 221 young workers aged 18, 299 young workers aged 19, 303 young workers aged 20, 247 young workers aged 21, 337 young workers aged 22, 373 young workers aged 23, and 361 young workers aged 24 lost their lives while working.

Moreover, ISIG Assembly published a report on child worker deaths on 12 February and it was stated in the report that at least 978 children died while working during the AKP regime and at least 742 children died while working in the last 12 years. The main cause of child worker deaths, similar to young workers' deaths, was traffic and transport accidents. While 201 children lost their lives in traffic and transport accidents, this number made up 27 % of all child labour deaths.

Out of 2664 work-related deaths of young workers, 2434 were men and 230 were women. On the other hand, it was found that 230 young workers died in work-related deaths were immigrants. It was stated that 142 of the young migrant workers who died were from Syria, 84 from Afghanistan and 11 from Turkmenistan.

HIGHEST DEATH TOLL IN CONSTRUCTION AND ROAD INDUSTRY

İstanbul had the highest number of work-related deaths among young workers with 336 deaths. Following İstanbul were Antalya with 116 work deaths, İzmir with 108 work deaths, Konya with 102 work deaths, Manisa with 99 work deaths and Ankara with 91 work deaths.

Construction and road industry was the industry with the highest number of young workers' work-related deaths with 26 %. The construction and road industry was followed by agriculture and forestry with 12 %, accommodation and entertainment with 9 % and transport with 7 %. When work-related deaths are categorised by branch, 34 % of the deaths of young workers were in industry, 27 % in construction, 22 % in social services and 17 % in agriculture. The report also drew attention to the rapid increase in work-related deaths due to the mass precariousness in the accommodation industry.

In 12 years, it was emphasised that 2579 of the young workers who lost their lives in work-related deaths were not unionised. Accordingly, only 85 of the young workers who died in work-related deaths were union members.

The number of deaths in the branches of labour with the highest number of work-related deaths is listed as follows

- 695 young people in the Construction, Roads industry

- 453 young people, including 318 workers and 135 farmers in the agriculture and forestry branch

- 231 young people in the Accommodation, Entertainment branch

- 178 young people in the transport branch

- 157 young people in the metal industry

- In the mining industry, 150 young people lost their lives while working.

TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS ARE THE MAIN CAUSE OF DEATH

Traffic and transport accidents were the biggest cause of work-related deaths of young workers with 24 %. It was stated that traffic accidents have also increased with the widespread use of motorbikes in recent years. In the ‘2024 Motor courier Deaths Report’ published by the Courier Rights Association on 20 January, 40 motor couriers between the ages of 16 and 27 died while working last year. The report also included the following statements concerning the growing popularity of motor couriering in the youth, as 40 of the 63 couriers who lost their lives were between the ages of 16-27: ‘Increasing inflation, the increasing difficulty of living conditions and the increasingly inadequate minimum wage, as well as the lack of job opportunities for young people, force many young people to become motor couriers. Moreover, companies targeting young people such as ‘Opportunity to earn 120-150 thousand TL per month’, ‘ Become your own boss’, ‘Earn as much as you work’, direct particularly this age group to the industry through advertisements and manipulations of the press with the appearance of news articles such as ‘They earn four times more than bankers’, ‘Moto couriers overtook white-collar workers’.

The second most common cause of work-related deaths was falling from a height with 16 % and the third most common cause was being crushed or denting with 15 %. The number of deaths in the branches of labour where the highest number of work-related deaths took place was stated as follows:

- 637 young people due to traffic and transport accidents

- 436 young people due to falls from height

- 403 young people due to crush, dent

- 242 young people due to electric shock

- 209 young people due to poisoning, drowning

- 167 young people due to violence

- 123 young people due to explosion, fire

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ANOTHER YOUNG MOTOR COURIER DIES WHILE WORKING

19-year-old Yaşar Dede Esen, who was working as a motor courier in Antalya, died in a traffic accident on the night of 16 to 17 February. The driver Emir S., who hit 19-year-old Esen with his car, leaving the secondary road and about to turn right at around 02.00 at night, has been released by the judge with judicial control conditions. Father Mehmet Esen told the DHA (Demirören News Agency) the following about the driver's release: ‘I was on a business trip abroad when it happened. My son had an accident while working as a courier. I learnt the details of the accident when I arrived. My son died in the hospital. After the accident, records were kept at the scene. The driver who hit my son was freed less than 12 hours later. While I am suffering in grief, the person who caused the death of my son is released. He had ambitions, he was a student,’ he said.