‘Does Ministry of Labor make any attempts to learn from workers what they want?’

* Photo: Hatimoğulları addressing Flormar workers during their resistance / SiyasiHaber

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It has been a month since workers in several sectors, from delivery to metal workers, have been protesting for better working conditions and wages amid deepening economic crisis and increasing inflation.

Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Adana MP Tülay Hatimoğulları has brought this ongoing workers' resistance in Turkey to the Parliamentary agenda in a Parliamentary question to Minister of Labor and Social Security Vedat Bilgin and questioned the attitude of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government to the reality of millions of workers and their families.

In explaining her reasons for the Parliamentary question, Hatimoğulları has underlined that the inflation rate has seen a 19-year high in the country, citizens' purchasing power has seen a serious drop amid crisis conditions and they are getting poorer with each passing day.

The HDP MP has recalled that laborers have "started resisting in several parts of Turkey in the face of injustice in income distribution, poor working conditions, low wages and low wage increases."

Hatimoğulları has also reminded the Minister of the companies where workers have been protesting for their labor rights: "Hepsi Ekspres' subcontractor Scotty, Farplas automotive factory, Yurtiçi Kargo courier firm, Yemeksepeti Banabi courier and warehouse laborers, Digitürk laborers, Kızılay İçecek, Migros Esenyurt warehouse, Aushra/Sağlam/Darinda Sock factory, Polibak Factory, Melike Textile, Aryıldız Factory, Karınca Logistics, DNZ Plastic and Kuzenler Pipes, Şireci Textile Cotton..."

'One of the 10 worst countries for workers'

Referring to the International Labor Organization (ILO) experts' committee report in 2021, Tülay Hatimoğulları has underlined that Turkey is "one of the worst 10 countries of the world for working people."

She has also listed the reasons why workers have been seeking their rights: "Bad working conditions, arbitrary dismissals, usurped employee personal rights and wage increases below inflation rates."

The MP has also raised concerns that when workers make attempts to get organized and unionized in the face of these adverse working conditions, they are faced with employers' pressure: "Laborers are either dismissed or forced to live under a threat of dismissal..."

'What sanctions do you impose?'

Against this backdrop, HDP Adana MP Tülay Hatimoğulları has asked Minister of Labor Bilgin a series of questions, including the following:

"Do you know the requests of the workers who have been resisting in several cities? Have you made any attempts to learn from workers themselves the violations of rights they face and their requests?

"Has your Ministry made any attempts to ensure that workers can get the desired wage increases so that they can afford their living expenses amid the current economic crisis conditions?

"What sanctions does your Ministry impose on employers for dismissing workers for getting unionized?

"Do you make any efforts to ensure that the workers who have been dismissed because of their union membership or their participation in protests to seek their rights will be reinstated in their jobs?

"Do you make any efforts to prevent the illegal practices targeting union rights, primarily the right to join a union?

"Does your Ministry make any efforts to regulate and inspect working hours and conditions in line with labor health and safety measures?

"Is your Ministry working on any regulations considering that irregular and precarious work has become the dominant form of employment and the minimum wage has become a basic wage for employees?

"There are allegations that workers are employed for less than the minimum wage in some workplaces. Are these allegations being investigated? Have measures been taken to prevent this?" (AEK/SD)