6,087 workers killed in last five years, TESK chair Palandöken says

Some 6,087 workers have been killed on the job in the last five years in Turkey, according to Confederation of Merchants and Craftsmen (TESK) chair Bendevi Palandöken.

"These accidents are occurring due to both faults by employers and employees," Palandöken said in a statement issued on Dec. 4, adding that work accidents were increasing year by year.

Turkey has the highest rate of fatal work accidents in Europe, according to the statement.

The TESK head also said 952,238 work accidents had occurred in the last five years, adding that 6,087 workers were killed in these accidents.

Moreover, Palandöken said the numbers of those killed involved only insured workers, meaning that the true number is actually much higher when considering fatalities among uninsured and unrecorded workers.

Istanbul, Ankara, İzmir, Antalya, Bursa, Konya, Gaziantep, Kayseri, Mersin, Kocaeli, Adana, Hatay, Manisa, Muğla and Tekirdağ led the way in terms of workplace deaths, Palandöken said.

"Carelessness, working without protective wear, working outside of the job description, working at a dangerous speed and lack of discipline are a large reason for work accidents. One of the most pertinent consequences of work accidents is the killing of workers," he said.

"Even if workers are not killed, they can wound or damage their psychological integrity. They can struggle with unemployment if they are wounded to the point that they cannot work. Work accidents also affect the capacity of production by damaging the state's economy," he said.