Turkey still has yet to sign the International Labor Organization (ILO)’s Convention No. 176 on “Security and Health in Mines”.

The convention loads many responsibilities to the governments and mine owners.

26 countries signed the convention dated in 1995. Turkey declined to sign the convention which will be valid on June 4, 2014 in Morocco and July, 19, 2014 in Russia.

Turkey put the ILO No. 176 in the agenda after the mine explosion in Zonguldak that killed 30 mine workers on May 17, 2010 but haven’t signed it.

The question of why ILO No. 176 haven’t been signed yet came in front of the government during various parliament platform speeches. The most recent question on the issue was from CHP Bartın deputy Rıza Yalçınkaya on January 11, 2012 and Ministry of Labor Faruk Çelik replied it like this:

“When we examine the ILO No. 176 agreement, Buried and Above-Ground Mine Businesses’ Health and Security Conditions Regulations and Mining with Drilling Businesses’ Health and Security Conditions Regulations, we can see that such agreement is parallel to the regulations and they even have more extensive judgments in them.”

What is in the agreement?

* Employers have to take all measurements to prevent the accidents and educate and inform their employees.

* Employers have to remove the risks at its source, create secure work systems, inform their employees on the accident risks and provide them the necessary medical aid if an accident occurs.

* Employers are responsible from the quality of health and rescue events after the accident.

* Governments have to prepare technical guidelines, organize the inspections, provide necessary legal regulations relating the inspections and effectively investigate the accidents.

* Employees and representatives have to inform the accidents and risky situations, be informed of their health and security conditions and have the right to be involved into the decision processes of the health and security precautions.

Countries that signed the agreement are as follows:

Albania, Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Check Republic, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Lebanon, Luxemburg, Norway, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, USA, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

* Click here to read the article in Turkish.