The employers? obligations and the workers? rights in occupational health and safety in the European Union directives and Turkish Labour Law

The employers? obligations and the workers? rights in occupational health and safety is a crucial issue for Turkey as well as European Union. European Union, of which Turkey is long standing to be a member, has ruled and started to execute important and advanced regulations related to occupational health and safety. European Union has promulgated several individual directives, deliberately Framework Directive 89/391, which aimed to close the distinction or to overcome the diversities within the regulations of the different member countries.After the enforcement of Labor Act (No. 4857) in 2003, there are several by-laws promulgated related to the Turkey?s labor relations. One important difference is that, labor relations started to be regulated by by-laws, which are easily arranged and enforced, instead of status. But the withdrawal of some of the by-laws, nominatim Framework By-law of Occupational Health and Safety, by the Council of State (Counseil d?Etat) caused to arise some problems. Those problems are trying to be overcome by new amendments.In this paper, the adaptation level of Turkey?s occupational health and safety regulations to the European Union directives is discussed.