BLOOD-CURDLING TOLL OF WORKPLACE HOMICIDES IN TURKEY: At Least 206 Workers Died in September; Nine-Month Total Reaches 1,566

A report released by the Health and Safety Labor Watch (İSİG Assembly) has exposed the devastating scope of occupational fatalities in Turkey. According to the data, at least 206 workers across the country lost their lives due to workplace incidents in September 2025. This brings the total number of fatalities in the first nine months of the year to 1,566. The report emphasizes the critical role of precarity in the highest-risk sectors—agriculture, construction (35% in earthquake zones), and transportation—while highlighting the tragedy of child labour and the murder of a migrant worker.

The September 2025 Workplace Homicide Report, compiled by the İSİG Assembly based on information from national/local press, unions, worker relatives, and colleagues, confirms the escalating trend of worker deaths. The grim data indicates an urgent and ongoing crisis in occupational health and safety standards.

Agriculture, Construction, and Transport Lead the Fatalities

The breakdown of the 206 worker deaths in September reveals a persistent pattern of risk in sectors dominated by informal and precarious employment:

• Agriculture and Forestry recorded the highest fatalities with 49 workers (27 farmers and 22 agricultural labourers).

• Construction and Road Work followed closely with 43 deaths. Notably, 35% of these deaths occurred in cities affected by the recent earthquakes, underscoring the dangers of accelerated rebuilding efforts.

• Transportation saw 34 worker losses, primarily drivers, due to factors like long working hours and pressure to meet tight deadlines.

The report collectively points to precarious working conditions and weak union organization as common features in these high-risk sectors.

Other Sectoral Fatalities:

• Manufacturing/Industry: 64 workers

• Services: 49 workers

Child Labour, MESEM, and Migrant Worker Murder Highlighted

The report draws specific attention to the most vulnerable groups, noting that at least 9 child laborers lost their lives in September. Five of these children were working in agriculture.

A tragic example involves the MESEM (Vocational Education Centers) system, where 17-year-old student Yağız Yıldız died after a scrap-winding machine fell on him during his internship at the Karabük Iron and Steel Works (Kardemir).

The issue of violence against migrant workers was also brought to the forefront. The report detailed the horrific torture and murder of Moldovan migrant worker Nicolai Palamarcıuc at his workplace in Istanbul by the employer's family members and personnel. Nicolai's family issued a desperate plea for justice: "We want justice, Turkey should not remain silent." The İSİG Assembly criticized the secrecy surrounding the investigation, suggesting an effort to conceal information from the public.

Causes of Death and Shocking Unionization Rate

The primary causes of death in September were:

1. Traffic/Service Accidents: 53 deaths (66% in agriculture/transport due to unfit vehicles, long hours).

2. Crushing/Collapse: 38 deaths.

3. Falls from Height: 32 deaths.

A staggering statistic from the report shows that at least 205 of the 206 deceased workers were ununionized (99.52%). Only one victim was a union member, a finding that the İSİG Assembly uses to criticize the lack of genuine organization and the failure of many unions to publicly acknowledge their deceased members.

The report also underlined the societal cost of the economic crisis, noting the deaths of Erhan Deniz (25), an unappointed teacher working as a construction plasterer, and Maşallah Oktan (22), a university student working as a seasonal agricultural worker to fund his education, who died in a service crash.