Magnifying Glass
Back to Archives

Workers Living in Tents Anti-Union Climate for Worker Deaths Blamed

26 Mar, 2012 WorkersCompensation.com

                               

 

The Turkish Union of Road, Construction and Building Workers (YOL-IS) recently came out and blamed subcontracting and the anti-union climate in the Turkish construction industry as the main reason behind the deaths of at least 11 construction workers, when fire engulfed a giant tent used as a dormitory for workers at a construction site in Istanbul.
 
 
In the Union's statement to the press, they condemned the terrible conditions faced by thousands of building workers: "Who will say “STOP” to this murder of workers which is a result of employment under irregular, precarious, uncontrolled, and nonunion conditions? When landslides happen, workers die! When dam shutters blow, workers die! When fires break out, workers die!" [WCx]

The Union wants immediate preventive action and profound changes.

 
 
According to more information from the statement, “Hundreds of workers at construction sites in Esenyurt, Istanbul are staying in dormitory tents in freezing conditions. Heaters are used in these tents and fires are happening. The preventable deaths of workers on construction sites are portrayed as accidents, because the key facts are always swept under the carpet. Most construction work is subcontracted, and bosses prevent workers from being organized in trade unions. This means there is no Labour Inspection, health and safety measures fall on deaf ears and employment and workplace rules are not complied with.”
 
 
 
Turkish police detained five people on suspicion of having acted negligently in the incident. Speaking to reporters, Labor Minister Faruk Celik stated the fire was still being investigated, adding that the heaters used by the workers to keep warm might have caused the fire .[WCx]
 
 
The Union added that recommendations and guidelines on construction workers' accommodation from the International Labour Organization and Development Institutions are ignored completely.
 
 

Author Robert Elliott, executive vice president, Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. has worked successfully for 20 years with many industries to reduce Workers Compensation costs, including airlines, healthcare, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality and manufacturing. He is an editor and contributor to Workers Compensation Management Program: Reduce Costs 20% to 50%. Contact: Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.

 

 


MODIFIED DUTY CALCULATOR:  www.LowerWC.com/transitional-duty-cost-calculator.php
WORKERS COMP MANAGEMENT MANUAL:  www.WCManual.com

 

 

Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws vary. You should consult with your insurance broker or agent about workers comp issues.

 

©2012 Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. If you would like permission to reprint this material, contact us at: Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.

    • Read Also

    Spencer Webinar Series: Serving the Injured Worker as a Team

    Spencer Webinar | Serving the Injured Worker as a Team (youtube.com)
    Autonomous Vehicles When? Thoughts and Commentary

    One of the biggest challenges that our society will experience in the next generation will be to transition from human driven cars to autonomous vehicles (AV). One only has to listen to the Beach Boys […]
    Employees Killed in Work Accidents Across Multiple States 

    Montgomery, MN (WorkersCompensation.com) – A food worker died in a warehouse accident last week, one of several industrial accident that took the lives of workers over the past few weeks.   The worker, an employee at […]

    About The Author

    • WorkersCompensation.com

    More by This Author

    Webinar: Building a Resilient Workforce

    Strategies for Workers’ Comp and Employee Well-being When: Aug. 7, 2 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. EDT Who: Dr. Claire Muselman from WorkersCompensation.com and Ian Colton from MedCall What: Join our webinar Building a Resilient Workforce, to […]
    IOH Announces Appointment of Scott Strickland as Chief Operating Officer (COO) 

    SAN DIEGO, CA — July 1, 2024 — Institutes of Health (“IOH”), a leading transdisciplinary Workers’ Compensation treatment organization focused on patients suffering from complex and chronic conditions, is delighted to announce the appointment of […]
    PhysNet Achieves Fifth Consecutive Year of SOC 2 Type II Certification

    Jacksonville, FL, June 3, 2024 – PhysNet proudly announces its attainment of SOC 2 Type II compliance for the fifth consecutive year, reinforcing its commitment to providing enterprise-level security for customer data within its cloud-based […]

    Read More

    Spencer Webinar Series: Serving the Injured Worker as a Team

    Spencer Webinar | Serving the Injured Worker as a Team (youtube.com)
    Autonomous Vehicles When? Thoughts and Commentary

    One of the biggest challenges that our society will experience in the next generation will be to transition from human driven cars to autonomous vehicles (AV). One only has to listen to the Beach Boys […]
    Employees Killed in Work Accidents Across Multiple States 

    Montgomery, MN (WorkersCompensation.com) – A food worker died in a warehouse accident last week, one of several industrial accident that took the lives of workers over the past few weeks.   The worker, an employee at […]
    Study Suggests Digital Tools Improve Pain Related Disability In Total Knee Replacement Patients

    Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – With an increase in life expectancy, as well a surge in the age of workers over the age of 65, the numbers of patients with Osteoarthritis (OA) is rising as well.  […]
    How Wearable Tech and Virtual Care are Transforming Claims, from Engagement to Outcomes 

    Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) — Last week’s National Workers’ Compensation and Disability Conference in Las Vegas set the stage for an impactful dialogue about the transformational potential of wearable technology and virtual care in the workers’ […]
    What Do You Think: Was Firing Nurse who Lost Fight with Door WC Retaliation? 

    Belleville, NJ (Workerscompensation.com). An employer’s action during the period after which an employee reports an injury and the date she is fired can go a long way to either showing retaliation or negating it.   A […]

    Request a Demo

    To request a free demo of one of our products, please fill in this form. Our sales team will get back to you shortly.