Women working in the house claim their rights
Women working in the house claim their rights
They have to put up with the world with difficult works like cleaning and nursing of ill people. An event they experienced reminded them to “put a lid” on this going. They have been trying to be organized as House Workers Women Commission for a time. While calling the government institutions as “see us, recognize our labour”, women house workers are also waiting for the support of people.
The working conditions that make an attempt on the lives of women, who do cleanings of houses, baby-sit and nurse ill and old people, came up with an event on 19 August last year. 37 year-old and 8 months pregnant Nilgün Oðuz, who was nursing Emine Özturan with alzheimer disease and cancer patient Ali Osman Özturan, was shot in the belly and wounded on 19 August by Ýsmet Onay, a relative of the Özturan family.
Despite not being the first event they were beset with, this was an event triggering the solidarity and mobilizing of women. House worker women organized an aid campaign to give their colleagues a back. House Workers Women Commission of Genel Ýþ Union under DÝSK (Confederation of Revolutionary Trade Unions) was also active in meeting women and performing organized works.
GOVERNMENT REFUSES THEIR EXISTENCE
Alone in Ýstanbul, the number of house workers women is over 10 thousand but this work branch with the most extensive women labor, isn’t recognized as a job in the Labor Law. Ministry of Labor and Turkish Employment Organisation don’t even register the woman house workers, which makes them work with low wages and as deprived of all kinds of social rights.
That’s why the leading demand of House Workers Women Commission is the “recognizing of the works of house worker women in the Labor Law. In addition, they demand the contract right to be taken under legal assurance.
THEY ARE EXPOSED TO ALL KINDS OF VIOLENCE
The problem of house worker women is not only the nonacknowledgment of their labour, but also the pressure and violence they are exposed to. Concerning the experienced violence, the commission speaks as follows; “Women exposed to rape and the lives ending with suicide soon after,reveal how dramatic experiences we have. Þengül’s story; she can’t have any day off for the operation of her ill son and she is even fired from her job. This is the harsh photograph of the fact. Another collegue of us from Tokat was harassed, raped and killed by the landlord. Then, she was wanted to be put out of sight.”
CALL TO THE GOVERNMENT
House Workers Women Commission is calling the government, Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Ministry of State Responsible for Child and Family, Turkish Employment Organisation, Social Services General Directorate and Social Assistance and Solidarity Foundation General Directorate to improve the conditions of woman house workers. The commission is also demanding the support of people.
WHAT THEY DEMAND?
Insured employment,
Procuration of life safety,
Reforming of working hours and deduction to 8 hours,
Maximum 45 hours work weekly,
Day-off right at weekends and in feast days,
Clean and fresh food,
Assurance against abuse, violence and rape,
Work permit for immigrant women,
Pay rise every 6 months and bonus every 3 months.
The working conditions that make an attempt on the lives of women, who do cleanings of houses, baby-sit and nurse ill and old people, came up with an event on 19 August last year. 37 year-old and 8 months pregnant Nilgün Oðuz, who was nursing Emine Özturan with alzheimer disease and cancer patient Ali Osman Özturan, was shot in the belly and wounded on 19 August by Ýsmet Onay, a relative of the Özturan family.
Despite not being the first event they were beset with, this was an event triggering the solidarity and mobilizing of women. House worker women organized an aid campaign to give their colleagues a back. House Workers Women Commission of Genel Ýþ Union under DÝSK (Confederation of Revolutionary Trade Unions) was also active in meeting women and performing organized works.
GOVERNMENT REFUSES THEIR EXISTENCE
Alone in Ýstanbul, the number of house workers women is over 10 thousand but this work branch with the most extensive women labor, isn’t recognized as a job in the Labor Law. Ministry of Labor and Turkish Employment Organisation don’t even register the woman house workers, which makes them work with low wages and as deprived of all kinds of social rights.
That’s why the leading demand of House Workers Women Commission is the “recognizing of the works of house worker women in the Labor Law. In addition, they demand the contract right to be taken under legal assurance.
THEY ARE EXPOSED TO ALL KINDS OF VIOLENCE
The problem of house worker women is not only the nonacknowledgment of their labour, but also the pressure and violence they are exposed to. Concerning the experienced violence, the commission speaks as follows; “Women exposed to rape and the lives ending with suicide soon after,reveal how dramatic experiences we have. Þengül’s story; she can’t have any day off for the operation of her ill son and she is even fired from her job. This is the harsh photograph of the fact. Another collegue of us from Tokat was harassed, raped and killed by the landlord. Then, she was wanted to be put out of sight.”
CALL TO THE GOVERNMENT
House Workers Women Commission is calling the government, Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Ministry of State Responsible for Child and Family, Turkish Employment Organisation, Social Services General Directorate and Social Assistance and Solidarity Foundation General Directorate to improve the conditions of woman house workers. The commission is also demanding the support of people.
WHAT THEY DEMAND?
Insured employment,
Procuration of life safety,
Reforming of working hours and deduction to 8 hours,
Maximum 45 hours work weekly,
Day-off right at weekends and in feast days,
Clean and fresh food,
Assurance against abuse, violence and rape,
Work permit for immigrant women,
Pay rise every 6 months and bonus every 3 months.
