ANKARA – The 3rd Turkey Meeting of the Memur-Sen Women's Commission was held with great excitement and enthusiasm, emphasizing the positive impact of women public servants on union life and the critical importance of organized struggle. The program was attended by Memur-Sen Chairman Ali Yalçın and Memur-Sen Women's Commission Chair Sıdıka Aydın, alongside high-ranking executives from the Confederation and its affiliated unions, and women public servants from across Turkey.

Chairman Ali Yalçın: "Working Life Must Be Structured to Be Family-Sensitive"

In his address, Memur-Sen Chairman Ali Yalçın stated that women are an integral part of working life, drawing attention to the issues faced by women public servants and topics awaiting solutions. Yalçın emphasized that working life is directly connected to social and family life, stating the need to resolve dilemmas women face between motherhood and career, legislative inadequacies, and imbalances in family responsibility sharing.

Yalçın further asserted that the family structure is under a systematic attack by "global perverse lobbies," declaring the family issue a "matter of survival." He stressed that protecting the family from capitalist exploitation and cultural imperialism's corruption is a common duty, reiterating the demand for Article 41 of the Constitution to include the sentences: "The family consists of a man and a woman. The foundation of the family relationship is marriage." Noting that Turkey is Europe's fastest-aging country and birth rates have fallen to alarming levels, Yalçın stated, "Today we must do much more. Structuring working life to be family-sensitive is now not a choice, but a necessity."

Demands for the 8th Term Collective Bargaining:

Ali Yalçın highlighted that the 8th Term Collective Bargaining, to be held in August, should mark a milestone in this regard, given 2025 has been declared the "Family Year." He listed the following steps that should be taken for women public servants in the future:

• Increasing payments for children and spouse/family aid.
• Increasing economic support such as diaper money and supplementary food for children.
• Providing additional premium days (severance pay) based on the number of children.
• Adjusting retirement age based on the number of children.
• Providing income tax exemption.
• Reducing weekly working hours to 32 and working days to 4.
• Increasing annual leave periods.
• Enabling flexible working arrangements with secure employment.
• Implementing remote and rotational work models upon the request of women employees.
• Extending maternity leave to 52 weeks and ensuring effective implementation of half-time work rights.
• Providing childcare services, or childcare support when services cannot be offered.
• Substantially increasing birth aid amounts.
• Regulating breastfeeding leave duration.
• Preventing violence and mobbing in the workplace, and establishing relevant boards.
• Providing leave rights for fathers.
• Granting marriage allowance for young public servants.

Yalçın concluded his speech by emphasizing that women are the "dynamo" of the organization and highlighting the importance of organized struggle.

Memur-Sen Vice Chairman Levent Uslu: "We Are Stronger with Our Women Members"

Memur-Sen Vice Chairman Levent Uslu underscored the crucial role of women members within the organization, sharing statistics on the organization and participation of women public servants in working life. Uslu stated that women take on significant roles both in family and working life, and Memur-Sen values its women members, actively listening to their demands and pushing boundaries to solve their problems.

Women's Commission Chair Sıdıka Aydın: "Our Boycott Stance Will Continue, Family Is Our Revival!"

Memur-Sen Women's Commission Chair Sıdıka Aydın drew attention to the Zionist Israeli genocide in Gaza, declaring, "Our strongest weapon is the boycott!" She emphasized that their determination on this issue is the most powerful way to tell Palestinian mothers they are not alone.

Aydın further discussed the importance of the family structure, stating, "The family is not only the core of society but also the common memory of a nation. A nation's collapse begins in the family, but a nation's revival also begins in the family." She reminded the audience that the "Constitution Change, Family Protected" signature campaign launched last March collected 5.293 million signatures and was presented to the Turkish Grand National Assembly, thanking those who supported the campaign.

Aydın noted that in current economic conditions, women are not just stakeholders in the home but also in the economy. She stated that Memur-Sen fights for fair, sustainable, and conscientious policies that do not condemn women to an "either work or family" dilemma, but rather enable them to humanely carry both responsibilities.

Calling for this year to be "an opportunity," Aydın stated that the 8th Term Collective Bargaining should be a chance to implement improvements in many areas, from maternity leave to childcare services, from flexible working models with full employment security to family-friendly tax policies, and from marriage and child benefits to part-time work rights. Aydın concluded by stating that Memur-Sen is a pioneer in this struggle and that they are not just a union but soldiers of a resistance, an awakening, and a civilization of ethics.

Following the speeches, women's commissions of Memur-Sen affiliated unions held meetings within their respective service branches, and the program concluded after an educational seminar.