Health Workers’ Union: “The workers making the statement are not members of our union”

In a statement made by the Öz Sağlık-İş Union, regarding the news that “Workers who are members of Öz Sağlık-İş were fired at the City Hospital in Kayseri,” it was stated, “Neither the workers in the photo used nor the worker who made the press statement are members of our Union. They have used unverified information in the news, misleading both the newspaper and the public.”

The statement is as follows:

“As you are well aware, our Union Öz Sağlık-İş, affiliated with the HAK-İŞ Confederation, operates in the health and social services sector, with 85 branches across Turkey and being the third largest trade union in Turkey with 211,000 members, and is the leading union in its sector.

These numerical figures primarily increase our responsibilities towards our members and also remind us of our obligations as the authorized union towards our brothers and sisters in the health and social services sector who are not our members. On August 24, 2024, Evrensel Newspaper published a news article titled, “Kayseri City Hospital Workers; We are facing pressure and mobbing, we are prevented from being unionized,” in which it was stated that the workers were dismissed due to their membership in our Union Öz Sağlık-İş. First of all, the workers who were dismissed, which deeply saddened us, are not members of the Öz Sağlık-İş Union. Many of our unions affiliated with the HAK-İŞ Confederation have separate membership efforts in the City Hospital. The workers whose contracts were terminated are members of our Hizmet-İş Union. The press statement made to defend the rights of these friends was organized by the Kayseri Provincial Presidency of the Homeland Party. The issue has nothing to do with the unions. However, the news did not mention this, and by stating that no one from Öz Sağlık-İş Union attended the press statement, our Union was put under suspicion, and it was implied that our union does not support its members. We do not find such initiatives correct or sincere.

Neither the workers in the photo used nor the worker who made the press statement are members of our Union. They have used unverified information in the news, misleading both the newspaper and the public. On the other hand, our Hizmet İş Union has made three press statements for our friends who work at the city hospital and whose contracts were terminated, assigned nine lawyers to follow the legal process, and strongly supported the reinstatement lawsuit process. There are many workers who are members of Öz Sağlık-İş in the City Hospital. However, our members continue their jobs. They have not experienced any issues regarding their contracts. As the Kayseri Branch Presidency of the Öz Sağlık-İş Union, we continue our struggle to protect and safeguard all the rights of our members in terms of their financial, legal, personal, and other rights.”