The draft law N. 6571 which aims at improving the safety of construction workers with international standards has been approved in accordance with ILO’s Safety and Health in Construction Convention on the 5^th February 2015 at the Turkish Grand National Assembly. The law came into force after its publication on the Official Journal of the Republic of Turkey on the 6^th February 2015. Turkey thus became the 26^th Member State of ILO to approve the convention.

ILO’s C167 Safety and Health in Construction Convention which includes 44 articles had been approved in 1988 and came into force in 1991. Its main objective is to set international standards regarding work safety for construction sector workers. The convention encompasses areas regarding the construction sector, vehicles used in the construction sector, safety and health regarding the equipment that are used. Furthermore, it also includes work safety and health dispositions that have been determined by Member States as well the obligations of workers and employers. 

IKV Chairman Ömer Cihad Vardan: “The approval of the Convention under Chapter 19 is a positive development”

IKV Chairman Ömer Cihad Vardan made some comments following the approval of ILO’s C167 Safety and Health in Construction Convention. He pointed out that the approval of the convention reveals to be of great importance in regard to the Chapter 19 (Social Policy and Employment) within the framework of Turkey-EU accession negotiations: 

“2015 is the 10^th anniversary of Turkey-EU negotiations process. In the last 10 years, Turkey has only opened 14 chapters out of the 35 chapters of the Acquis. Several chapters cannot be opened because of a Council’s Decision or are blocked by some Member States. There are therefore only 3 chapters that can be opened. One of these chapters is Chapter 19 on Social Policy and Employment”. Furthermore, IKV Chairman Vardan explained: “Chapter 19 aims at increasing employment in our country, establishing an effective dialogue with social partners, strengthening social security systems and improving working conditions. As for improving working conditions, it is of utmost importance to be in conformity with EU standards and ILO conventions regarding this area. In this context, we consider the approval by the Turkish Grand National Assembly of ILO’s C167 convention as a positive development. Undoubtedly, this development would further confer us great impetus in harmonising the Social Policy and Employment Chapter with our own legislation”.

Moreover, referring to the two-stage National Action Plan towards Accession to the EU which was published by the Ministry for EU Affairs in November 2014, IKV Chairman Vardan underlined the following: “Turkey’s new EU Strategy which has been published by the Ministry for EU Affairs, aims at taking further steps in the upcoming period in regard to the harmonisation with EU standards and ILO conventions. Apart from our country’s EU membership, this is an important opportunity regarding the safety of our own workers”.

IKV Chairman Vardan: “Beside us, other EU Member States should also act”

IKV Chairman Vardan stressed that until today ILO’s C167 Safety and Health in Construction Convention has been approved by 26 ILO members including Turkey and that 159 countries have still not approved it. IKV Chairman Vardan also drew the attention to the fact that only 9 EU Member States have approved the convention. IKV Chairman Vardan further stressed: “If Turkey approves the convention by believing in its provisions, all EU Member States who claim to be a defender of fundamental rights and freedoms should approve it as well”.

Currently, among the 28 EU Member States, ILO’s C167 convention has been approved only by 9 countries. These countries are Germany, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Italy, Luxembourg, Hungary and Slovakia. Still 19 EU Member States have not approved the convention.