GENEVA (AA) – TÜRK-İŞ Chairman Ergün Atalay stated that workers are experiencing severe financial difficulties resulting from high taxes and inflation and said, “Inflation, which reduces purchasing power, is one of the main problems. The losses of workers, civil servants, retirees and millions of people working for minimum wage against inflation should be compensated.” he requested. Atalay addressed the general assembly on behalf of the employees in Turkey at the 114th International Labor Conference of the International Labor Organization (ILO), which continues in Geneva, Switzerland.
Stating that they will discuss conscience, sense of justice, peace and the common future of humanity in this year’s general assembly, as well as the problems of working life, Atalay said: “The world is going through an extremely difficult period for humanity. Wars, regional conflicts, economic crises, poverty and inequality are deepening. On the one hand, technology, artificial intelligence and digital transformation are being talked about.
On the other hand, we are witnessing a world where children, women and civilians are struggling to survive under bombs.” International organizations established to protect peace and human rights are ineffective in the face of major humanitarian disasters. We cannot go one step further than repeating the same things here for years. International law and conventions are still in force. However, it is clear that these rules cannot protect people from the suffering.
Today, unfortunately, law has become a tool produced by the powerful and shaped and imposed according to their own interests. However, law should not be a universal guarantee that stands on the side of power, but defends the oppressed, the righteous and human dignity in the face of injustice.” – “Digital transformation brings with it serious problems of insecurity.” Ergün Atalay stated that the different implementation of justice according to individuals, countries and centers of power rapidly consumes the trust between states and said: “It destroys the credibility of the international system and the belief in the common future of humanity.
The ongoing wars in the Middle East are one of the most striking examples of this. While arms dealers are making huge profits, women, children and babies are losing their lives, cities, factories and workplaces are being destroyed, and families are being destroyed. What happened in Gaza deeply wounded the collective conscience of humanity. What is even sadder is that while all this is happening, a significant part of the world remains silent.
“If the international community remains silent and insufficient to protect peace, law and human dignity, greater crises await the world.” Emphasizing that the social dialogue, platform economy and equality issues on the agenda of the conference this year are of great importance for the future of working life, Atalay said, “Digital transformation also brings with it serious problems of insecurity. What is essential for us is the end of temporary and precarious working models.
It is the spread of secure, permanent and decent jobs.” made his assessment. – “Work accidents and occupational diseases are among the serious problems of working life.” Emphasizing that the injustice in income distribution in the world has deepened and the share of labor in national income has decreased, Atalay said: “The whole world is faced with high inflation due to wars and economic crises. In my country, workers also experience the difficulty of making ends meet due to high taxes and inflation.
Inflation, which reduces purchasing power, is one of the main problems. Workers, civil servants, retirees and millions of people working for minimum wage are facing inflation.” The losses must be compensated. Unregistered work still deprives millions of workers of social security and union rights. The problems experienced by the victims of internships and apprenticeships are still waiting for solutions. The subcontracted work system continues to weaken the job security and unionization rights of employees.
Long working hours, work accidents and occupational diseases are among the serious problems of working life. In some workplaces, the fact that employees face pressure due to unionization and fear of dismissal continues to be one of the important problems. Emphasizing that the effective protection of union rights is the basic condition of democratic working life, Atalay said, “The union rights of public employees, including the right to strike, and Law No.
4688 should be harmonized with the ILO Conventions, and the obstacles to their ability to make collective agreements fairly should be removed. We know that neither social peace nor sustainable development can be talked about in a place where labor is not protected, income justice is not ensured and the social state is not strengthened.” he said. – “If we don’t take action today, when will we take action?” Stating that international law and solidarity are more important than ever, Atalay continued: “We have to grow peace, justice and solidarity for the common future of humanity.
Today is the day to raise our voices against wars, crises and injustice. The unfinished lives of the 168 girls who died in Iran will remain an indelible wound in the common conscience of humanity.” We have to take action against the human tragedy in which women, children and civilians are torn from life by bombs and mothers bury their children in Ukraine, Palestine, Lebanon, Iran and the entire Middle East. “If we don’t act today, when will we?”
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