Memur-Sen Women’s Commission Holds Its 3rd National Gathering

The 3rd Türkiye Gathering of the Memur-Sen Women’s Commission was held with high energy and participation. The event focused on the positive role of women in union life and emphasized the importance of organized struggle.

Memur-Sen President Ali Yalçın stated that women are an integral part of working life and underlined structural problems that hinder work-family balance for female public servants. He criticized the lack of legislative arrangements to support working women and proposed family-oriented reforms, especially in light of Türkiye’s aging population and declining birth rate. Yalçın emphasized that work-life policies must be restructured to support families and called for constitutional amendments affirming that the family is based on a union between a man and a woman.

He also presented a list of key demands for the upcoming 8th Collective Agreement negotiations in August 2025, including:

Extending maternity leave to 52 weeks,
Flexible and remote work options,
Tax exemptions for families,
Increased family and childcare allowances,
Reducing working hours to 32 per week across 4 days,
Improved access to childcare facilities,
Strengthening anti-harassment mechanisms in workplaces.

Deputy President Levent Uslu highlighted the central role of women in both professional and family life, stating that the organization listens carefully to the demands of its female members and strives to meet them.

Women’s Commission President Sıdıka Aydın drew attention to the ongoing Israeli attacks on Gaza and reiterated Memur-Sen’s continued boycott stance. She described the boycott as a moral weapon against oppression and a message of solidarity to Palestinian mothers. Aydın also emphasized the critical importance of protecting the family as a foundation of national strength and memory, referring to the "Change the Constitution, Protect the Family" campaign that collected over 5 million signatures.

She called for August’s collective bargaining round to be a milestone in improving working conditions for women, including expanded maternity rights, family-friendly tax policies, and employment flexibility. Aydın concluded by affirming that the Memur-Sen Women’s Commission stands not just for union rights but for a broader moral and cultural awakening.