Work accidents and unionization: A case study on construction sector

Neoliberal policies, which rapidly expanded their scope of application worldwide after 1980, were further strengthened by the phenomenon of globalization after the 1990s, leading to significant changes in labor markets. With the exception of the Nordic countries, a new labor regime has been adopted around the world, with this regime, precarious, flexible, subcontracted, low-paid and long-term work has become widespread. In addition to these developments, Neoliberal policies have led to a decrease in unionization rates and an increase in work accidents as a result of measures not taken due to high profit ambitions. In general, most of the world has entered a period in which labor protections have been reduced to a minimum. In parallel with the world, this transformation in the labor regime took place in Turkey after 1980. The new capital accumulation model caused the gains of the working classes to disappear rapidly. The unionization rates of private sector workers under the collective agreement have declined considerably, and the first place has been reached among European countries in fatal occupational accidents and occupational diseases. This thesis aims to examine the relations between low unionization rates and high occupational accidents in Turkey. As part of this question, the additional question of what the role of unions may be in preventing accidents at work is being tried to be answered. The construction sector, which has the most fatal work accidents in Turkey, is also the sector with the lowest unionization rate. With this feature, the construction sector has been specially studied. In this study, "occupational accidents and occupational diseases" data obtained from the statistical Annals of the Social Security Institution and "number of workers and trade union members" data of the Ministry of family Labor and Social Work are used. Our study is the first in Turkey in terms of dealing with trade unionization-work accidents relations from a sectoral point of view. The results obtained from this study may offer recommendations to both the Turkish trade union movement and policy makers on measures to be taken to prevent accidents at work and occupational diseases.