The report prepared by the International Labor Organization (ILO) Turkey Office emphasizes that domestic workers, who are mostly women and work informally, should be included in more social protection and safe employment in the light of ILO’s Domestic Workers Convention No. 189 so that they can work in decent conditions.
The International Labor Organization (ILO) Turkey Office has prepared a report in order to reveal the socio-economic problems and conditions of the unregistered domestic workers, the majority of whom are women, deepened by the global epidemic, and to offer solutions for improving the working
The report was shared with the public at an online event held on June 17, 2021 with the participation of workers-employer organizations and public institutions representatives.
Dr. The “View of Domestic Work in Turkey: Scope, Dimension and Problems” Report prepared by Ceyhun Güler examines the current socio-economic and legal status and problems of domestic workers, occupational health and safety, working conditions, employment methods, union rights and organization , inspection and inspection. In this context, it makes policy recommendations for domestic workers to work in decent working conditions and to solve existing problems.
The report, which was prepared within the scope of the “More and Better Jobs for Women” Program carried out by the ILO Turkey Office with the support of Sweden, reflects the comprehensive literature review on the subject, as well as in-depth interviews with domestic workers, representatives of public institutions, workers’ and employers’ organizations. It also addresses the impact of workers on their working conditions.
Informality and Lack of Numerical Data Primary Issues Affecting Each Other
Pointing out that the primary problems of domestic workers, mostly women, are unregistered and insecure employment, the report also emphasizes that informality is one of the most important obstacles to reliably determining the number of domestic workers and therefore determining the extent of the problems of domestic workers and developing solutions for these problems. .
According to TUIK data, more than 90% of domestic workers in Turkey are women, and according to the information given by the unions that organized domestic workers, there are over one million domestic workers in Turkey.
According to the report, the prevalence of unregistered work, workplaces where domestic workers generally consist of private households, employee-employer relations outside the traditional employment structure, and the inability to determine the exact number beyond the estimation due to the fact that numerical determinations are mostly based on declarations make it difficult to determine the informality rate, on the other On the other hand, the high level of informality makes it difficult to determine the exact number of domestic workers.
At least 70% of domestic workers lack effective social protection
According to the report, which states that at least 70% of domestic workers in Turkey lack effective social protection, according to Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) data and Social Security Institution (SGK) statistics, this rate exceeds 90% when the estimates of the unions that organized domestic workers are taken into account. gets on it.
The report points out that the regulations made in 2015 to ensure that domestic workers work insured in Turkey are an important step, and emphasizes the necessity of including domestic workers in a more effective social protection system.
More Effective and Comprehensive Social Protection Mechanism Needed
According to the report, one of the most important problems in the field of domestic work is that domestic workers in Turkey are outside the scope of the basic laws regulating employment relations, including the labor law, and there is no legal regulation to determine the job descriptions of domestic workers and the scope of their work. This situation creates uncertainty for domestic workers, whose rights and obligations are defined by the Turkish Code of Obligations, and can aggravate their workload.
Legislation to Increase Formal Employment is Important for Better Labor Standards
The report states that domestic workers have to work under harsh working conditions in an environment where there is no security, there is no fixed working hours, their job descriptions are uncertain, they are deprived of leave rights, there are no wage standards and security standards , and standards for occupational health and safety are not determined. He draws attention to the fact that by making regulations and encouraging the registered employment of domestic workers will contribute to the benefit of domestic workers’ right to work and standards.
Prominent Problems in Occupational Health and Safety and Violence and Harassment
Emphasizing that most of the occupational health and safety problems faced by domestic workers are preventable, the r