Today’s news that more than 200 coal miners in Turkey have lost their lives on the job and an untold number are still trapped in the mine is a tragedy. The thoughts and prayers of millions of workers go out to their families and communities.
This disaster also is a stark reminder of the danger workers face every day around the world due to corporate negligence and the failure of governments to protect their citizens.
As a third-generation coal miner, I understand the risks involved in earning a living and providing for your family through such dangerous work. While there will always be risks involved in mining, and many other professions, there are steps we can and should take to ensure that no worker has to choose between a day’s pay and their life.
We await more details about the nature and cause of this tragedy. Our concerns are grounded in reams of evidence which show that the reach of corporate irresponsibility and government incapacity knows no borders. Our own annual Death on the Job report, released just last week, shows too many dying on the job in the United States, including two coal miners in West Virginia only days ago. We must dedicate our efforts to ensuring every workplace is safe. Those who lost their lives today, and the thousands more we have lost in the last year serve as a reminder of the challenge ahead to ensure that every worker can live without fear of workplace injury or death.
In 2012, the most recent year with available data, 4,628 workers were killed on the job in the United States, and an estimated 50,000 died from occupational diseases, resulting in a loss of 150 workers each day from hazardous working conditions. America still has much work to do to protect its own workers.
Contact: Anthony DeAngelo (202) 637-5018