KESK Women’s Secretary Atasoy: We do not accept the perpetuation of flexible labour

Cansu ERTAŞ
Ankara 

Stating that with May Day approaching the primary demand of public workers is the lifting of the May 1 bans, KESK Women's Secretary Gülistan Atasoy stated that the government, which turned the pandemic into an opportunity, is preparing to perpetuate flexible working in the public sector.

Pointing out that women are most negatively affected by flexible working conditions in the public sector, Atasoy said that they attend May 1 with aim of preventing the perpetuation of flexible working styles of public workers, fighting for a work life in which safe and humane conditions are created and equal pay for equal work is paid.

FLEXIBLE WORKING WEAKENS WORKER’S ORGANISATION

KESK Women's Secretary Gülistan Atasoy stated that the primary reason for making flexible work permanent is to reduce the cost of public workers. “Flexible working forms the basis of precarious labour. It leads to an environment that leads to women having to stay at home by having less paid work” and stated that flexible working will weaken or even eliminate the conditions of trade union organisation. Atasoy said, “Although it seems that it only concerns white-collar employees, many large capital groups have announced that from now on this will be perpetuated in their workplaces. It is obvious that the aftermath of this will affect a much larger mass of labourers. This is a situation that increases the care taking burden at home, especially for women. Because women have to both take care of children and do housework, as well as caring for the elderly, disabled at home if necessary, while also having to fully shoulder the tasks of their paid job”. Noting that for women, flexible working eliminates social life, increases male domestic violence and causes many vital problems, Atasoy said, “During the current period, flexible working has become widespread especially in educational and office sectors. Especially from the female point of view, many public workers who have made the experience express that they are unhappy, are experiencing the aforementioned problems, and that this brings many problems together with an endless amount of work”. Atasoy stated that as a trade union, they are conducting surveys to better understand the effects of flexible working in the public sector and will announce the results of the survey within a week.

SECURE AND HUMANE CONDITIONS, EQUAL PAY FOR EQUAL WORK ...

Listing the May Day demands of public workers, Gülistan Atasoy said, “First of all, we want the May Day bans to be withdrawn. Our rallies and activities planned on the streets and squares with physical distance in mind were forbidden due to pandemic reasons. In fact, we know that the government used this opportunity to prevent many forms of exploitation of laborers from being reflected onto the streets during the current period. This is the primary reason for all these prohibitions. The main indicator of this is the banning of May Day in a period where production continues uninterruptedly, having to go to work is not banned in any way and social life increases by the week”.

Listing the demands of public workers, Atasoy said, “We demand a work life in which women have safe and decent living conditions. We demand equal pay for equal work and that flexible working schemes that we emerged during the pandemic will be prevented from becoming permanent”. Atasoy stated that while struggling with insecurity and poverty, women were subjected to attacks on women's rights, especially the abolition of the Istanbul Convention although violence is increasing and stated that “The increase of domestic violence is also reflected at workplaces and in work life.” Atasoy stated that public workers demand an end to the attacks against women’s rights and the provision of living conditions free of violence and added that they want the International Labour Organization’s Violence and Harassment Convention No. 190 to be signed and implement. Atasoy said, “We are facing increased mobbing, investigations and punishments in the public sector, especially in the health sector. Especially as female KESK member public workers. We want the activities aimed at preventing unionization in workplaces to end,” she said.