Much like many parts of the world, takeout and home delivery services have become an integral part of life in Turkey, especially in sectors such as food and grocery. This trend has been amplified by the pandemic. While there are no official statistics regarding the number of motorcycle delivery workers in Turkey, it is widely acknowledged that their number is around two hundred thousand. However, despite the growing importance of delivery workers in the service sector, legal safeguards for delivery work remain underdeveloped. Delivery work is not categorized as “hazardous profession,” allowing individuals without a “Vocational Competence Certificate” to enter the profession without proper training. Consequently, issues such as social security coverage, worker safety, and health training are limited. The proliferation of precarious work under the guise of self-employment has become widespread, leading to the employment of migrant workers at low wages without job security. Consequently, accidents and fatalities related to delivery work have been on the rise.
While at least 30 motorcycle delivery workers lost their lives while working in Turkey in 2021, this number increased to at least 58 in 2022. This alarming statistic means that, on average, at least one delivery worker lost their life every week. To address this critical issue, we assembled a team comprising research assistants, volunteers from the Health and Safety Labour Watch, children’s rights advocates, human rights activists, lawyers, social media experts, and our colleagues actively working as delivery workers. We present this report with the hope that it will contribute to the efforts of all unions, associations, and organizations involved in the motorcycle delivery sector across various countries.
Download PDF: 2022-Report-On-Motorcycle-Delivery-Worker-Fatalities-In-Turkey.pdf
