Mistreated while being mistreated

Around 56 percent of minors employed in the workforce are physically mistreated, results of research conducted by an educators’ union have revealed.

The research conducted by Eğitim-Sen also revealed that 64 percent of employed minors work 10 hours a day. These minors, aged 15-19, do not wear adolescent expressions but rather those of adults striving to earn an income for their families.

Turgut Aydın, 19, came to Istanbul more than three years ago from the Black Sea province of Samsun and started working at a molding workshop. He has worked for 10 hours a day six days a week during this time and supports a family of nine on a monthly wage of 600 Turkish Liras.

Just one of many

Aydın is just one of 2.5 million children in this age group who work full-time in Turkey. These minors have different names, but their stories are the same and their problems are similar. Sixty-four percent work 10-11 hours a day.

Forty-two percent earn monthly wages ranging from 350 to 400 liras. Fifty-six percent face physical mistreatment in the workplace and 48 percent suffer work-related accidents.

Of these 2.5 million minors, 130,000 go to vocational schools affiliated with the Education Ministry to improve their skills. During their education, which lasts two to three years, they are insured by the state, and they are considered the lucky ones. Eğitem-Sen conducted a survey among 300 of these students and the results were:

Forty-four percent are from the Black Sea region and 32 percent from Southeast Anatolia. Fifty-two percent live in homes with seven members. The average age they start working is 11.

Sixty-six percent have one or two other family members that work. Only 10 percent have been able to go to the cinema or theater. Seventy percent give all their wages to their families.

Aydın dropped out of school after finishing eighth grade. Now he goes to Istanbul’s Fatih Vocational School one day a week. The other six days of the week he works.

"I wish I had studied and became a teacher," said Aydın. "I don’t know the Bosphorus. I have been to Taksim just once. I have no free time because of work. Anyway I don’t have money," he said. "Its only on the day that I go to school that I am young. My wish is to own a workshop someday," Aydın said.

Soner Kanat, 19, works at a car repair shop. He has been working there for the past six years, putting in 12-hour shifts. He was insured last year.

"My family would not let me study. I needed to earn money. I earn 520 liras a month and keep 30 liras out of that for myself," Kanat said.

Eyüp Zeybek, 16, also started working at a car repair shop last year.

"I didn’t want to study. I wanted to support my family. I work 12 hours a day and make 600 liras. I feel like a grownup," he said.