By its message of “Let’s Pay Dues to Domestic Workers”, ILO Office for Türkiye calls support for ILO’s Domestic Workers Convention

At the event of 23 June 2022 at Beyoğlu Cinema Museum in Istanbul, the International Labour Organization (ILO) Office for Türkiye drew attention to domestic workers’ problems and quest for rights, and called support for ILO’s Domestic Workers Convention (No. 189).

News | 24 June 2022
In the frame of its awareness-raising campaign for domestic workers, the ILO Office for Türkiye showcased the interviews with domestic workers by Burcu Biricik, Devin Özgür Çınar and Serdar Orçin, prominent personalities of the world of arts, to communicate the message that “let’s pay dues to domestic workers”, drew attention to domestic workers’ problems and supported their voices being heard.

Moderated by Meliha Okur, a journalist of economics, the event emphasized the significance of ILO’s Domestic Workers Convention (No. 189) to ensure full recognition of the rights of domestic workers. At the panel, domestic workers voiced their wish to have job security and be respected.

ILO Engages in Long-Term Work for Domestic Workers

The ILO Office for Türkiye engages in comprehensive long-term work to achieve decent working conditions for women in the world of work, including domestic workers, under the under the More and Better Jobs for Women Programme with funding from Sweden. An awareness-raising and information campaign themed “Decent Work for Domestic Workers” was launched by the Office in 2021, tenth anniversary of the adoption of ILO’s Domestic Workers Convention (No. 189), which requires that domestic workers should work under equal conditions and standards as other workers.

Setting out with the slogan “Let’s pay our impossible-to-pay dues to domestic workers”, domestic workers were visited in their homes, rather than event halls, and Burcu Biricik, Devin Özgür Çınar and Serdar Orçin, prominent personalities of the world of arts, held interviews with three domestic workers to look into domestic work from their perspectives.



Artists support domestic workers

At the special event themed “Decent Work for Domestic Workers” organized by the ILO Office for Türkiye at Beyoğlu Cinema Museum and moderated by Meliha Okur, a journalist of economics, the feature was the screening of short films of interviews with domestic workers held by prominent artists Burcu Biricik, Devin Özgür Çınar and Serdar Orçin.

At the programme attended by DISK President Arzu Çerkezoğlu, ILO Türkiye Director Numan Özcan, actress Devin Özgür Çınar, labour unions that organize domestic workers, and domestic workers in person, journalists Ahu Özyurt and Elif Ergu facilitated the discussion on the status of domestic workers in the world of work as well as visibility in the media. Domestic workers Sevgi Atmaca, Saliha Barış and Sultan Altuncevahir told about their difficult conditions of work, and wished to have job security and respect.


“Our aim is to make the invisible labour visible”

ILO Türkiye Director Numan Özcan said that they engaged in work to ensure that domestic workers would work in decent conditions, and set out to make their invisible labour visible.

Numan Özcan noted that 90 percent of the domestic workers in Türkiye were women, and such rate was around 70 percent in the world. Reminding that ILO’s Domestic Workers Convention, 2011 (No. 189) (a.k.a. “Convention concerning decent work for domestic workers”) stood as a remedy, Özcan said: “C189 is an international instrument that requires domestic workers have equal working conditions and rights with all other workers. Acting as a tripartite entity consisting of governments, workers’ and employers’ organizations, ILO offers this convention as a compass for any initiative to ensure decent work for domestic workers.”

“They do not have access to social dialogue”

Özcan stated that major violations suffered by domestic workers often included having to work without job security and occupational health and safety, for indefinite hours against unclear job descriptions. Stressing that they lacked scheduled weekly and annual leaves, and no standardized wages, Özcan continued: “As they work in an environment of uncertainty, lack space where they could focus on own social live, and run the risk of suffering violence, domestic workers are far disconnected from social dialogue mechanisms. This prevents them from organizing. We can tackle the abuses against and pay dues to domestic workers who are officially counted at a quarter million.”

“It is critical for domestic workers to have job security, social protection, fair wages, measures against violence and harassment, clear job descriptions, rights of association, occupational health and safety, and representation in social dialogue mechanisms.”
Özcan concluded that “it is extremely important to support C189 so that domestic workers may work in decent conditions. We hereby reiterate our call for the ratification of C189.”

Campaign supporters awarded plaques of commendation

At the event, three domestic workers and actress Devin Özgür Çınar were awarded plaques of commendation for their involvement in and support for the campaign.