At Least 319 Children Were Killed in Works Accidents since 2013

According to Ankara Health and Safety Labour Watch’s (İSİG) Child Labour and Work Killings Report, unofficial working children’s number in Turkey is above 2 million and at least 319 children were killed in work accidents since 2013.

In the report published with the occasion of 12 June World Day against Child Labour, it is seen that child labour in Turkey and in the world is still a desperate situation. According to the report, by year 2015, there are 168 million working children and more than half of them work in agriculture. A good part of child workers are in very poor fields of work and cannot reach their right to education. Unofficial numbers show that there are more than 2 million child workers in Turkey.

Children are forced to work without any safety and in poor working conditions. Child labor seems to draw to very dangerous work fields and work accidents increase each year. According to the report, from 2013 to the first five months of 2018, at least 319 children were killed in work accidents. It is indicated in the report that the government does not share the data and avoids audit on child labor. Impunities were also mentioned in the report.

ISIG’s demands to prevent child labor are as follows:

* Educational system and education policies which encourage low-cost child labor should be stopped immediately.

* Data on child labor should be collected scientifically and shared regularly.

*Institutions and persons which informally employ child workers should not be excused and the charges should be deterrent.

* There should be urgent precautions to prevent illegal child work; audits should be effective and regular; relevant legislations should be applied.

* Child labor should be banned.

To read the full report: http://guvenlicalisma.org