The Leather Textiles Shoemaking Workers’ Association published the report, “Occupational Diseases” with the support of Etkiniz.
Below you can read the executive summary of the report, originally published in Turkish:
This report contains data and analysis collected by the Association of Leather, Textile and Shoe Workers [Deri Tekstil ve Kundura İşçileri Derneği], and aims at revealing the occupational diseases of workers in the sectors listed below.
The aim of the monitoring study is to monitor occupational diseases experienced by leather, textile and shoe workers and to prompt law-makers, implementers and employers’ organisations to take action against the rights violations experienced by workers. The results of the study were put in report form to prompt action.
The target group of the study consists of workers in leather and textile sectors in various districts in Izmir and shoe workers at the Işıkkent Shoe-Makers Zone. A total of 100 workers were contacted, out of which 35 were women and 65 were men. Of these, 23 work in the leather sector, 44 in the textile sector and 33 in the shoe sector. The method used in the monitoring study consists of conducting interviews by preparing survey questions, analysing the interviews, screening national and international legislation and standards through a desk-based study and reporting all acquired results.
The standards of the monitoring study were based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the UN International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, ILO Conventions (Convention No. 155 on Occupational Safety and Health and Work Environment, Convention No. 187 on Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health) and the Constitution of Turkey and Law 6331 on Occupational Health and Safety.
The findings of the human rights monitoring study are as follows: The ages of the 76 of interviewed workers ranged between 18 and 40. It was observed that as age increased, the employment rate fell. The reasons for the decrease are occupational diseases and the fact that many workers had to quit their jobs due to working conditions. The concentration of Syrian workers among the young workers is worth noting. Informal employment is frequently observed. 23 of the workers who were contacted for the survey stated that their social security payments were regularly made; 28 workers stated that their social security payments were not made regularly, and 44 workers stated that they were not covered by social security at all. No interviewed refugee workers had social security.
The sector relies on long working hours, which leads to an increase in occupational diseases. 41 workers stated that they worked for 9 to 10 hours, 48 stated that they worked for 11 to 12 hours and 11 stated that they worked for 13 to 15 hours. 62 of the workers stated that there were no workplace health and safety measures at their workplace. Only 17 of the workers stated that they received worker health and safety training. Only 7 workers stated that they witnessed a labour inspector examining the workplace for worker health and safety. 56 workers stated that they were exposed to dangerous chemicals at the workplace. This group includes all of the workers in the leather and textile sectors.
73 workers stated that they experienced work-related health problems. A high number of workers stated that they were diagnosed with diseases and were currently under treatment. However, none of the workers’ diseases were recognised as occupational diseases and recorded as such by the social security institution.
The report also contains the distribution of workers’ occupational diseases. Musculoskeletal disorders are the most prevalent at 40 per cent. None of the workers who experienced occupational diseases could obtain the right to temporary incapacity benefits or permanent incapacity benefits.
The report also contains information related to the COVID-19 pandemic. 72 workers stated that no particular measures were taken at the workplace against the pandemic. 63 of the workers responded ‘yes’ to the question “Has any worker, including you, been diagnosed with COVID-19 at the workplace?“. 43 per cent of the workers who responded ‘yes’ to the question stated that the person(s) in question continued to work and no measures were taken at the workplace. 19 per cent of the workers stated that only people who had close contact were quarantined.
The report also contains solution proposals on the subject and the pandemic. Some of the emphasised proposals for addressing occupational diseases are preventing informal employment, implementing the relevant standards, increasing the number of workplace health and safety inspections, increasing the quality of the raw materials used, expediting the diagnostic process for occupational diseases and periodic health checks for workers in these sectors.