Hülya Adıyaman

Muğla - The majority of home-based workers' union, member of Four Hour Work Week (FHWW) and active in Turkey, are women.  Member of the union, Habibe İNAN (45), who  struglle to gain social security, says;’’ We want to take our social security. When we have our salary , we will be social. We are social, worker,farmer… we get over all tasks. Because we are women! They see us low as women. We started to work when we were just six years old. All of us processed tobacco, picked up olive, worked in cotton. There isn’t any work that we didn’t do. But we didn’t claim any rights. İmagine , we don’t have any right. We  Claim our rights.’’

Turkey HomeNet Home Based Working Woman Solidarity Network, took its name from international organizations HomeNet,  after the result of the works it carried out, established  Home-based Workers’ union.Began in 1994 as an initiative and announced its official establishment in 2009, Home-based Workers’ Union is the first rights-based organization of home- based workers.The Union , independent in Turkey,is an active member of Four Hour Work Week  on the international scale.  non-governmental organization of women from Turkey are support the unıon.  Figen Aras ,member of Ekın Ceren Woman associatıon ,point out that the union has been ignored by the system. She said; the system  consciously prevents the union to take place on the agenda. But, Those who study women, feminists,have to  support this struggle, bring it to light,revive it as brought to light the ir struggle with system. In this way, women's solidarity, can be possible.  Home-based Workers’ Union  although  covers all workers working at home,majority of its members are women. Home-based Workers’ Union’s charter member Gülsüm Coşkun  stated that  ; The union was founded by women workers but also it is open to men membership. Coşkun, Providing information regarding the activities of  union, answered our questions:

         - What is home-based?

Home-based working has got  three types. The first is order, the second is outsource work and the third one is to work for own account. The workers, make three types of it are hame-based workers. You get piecework. Insert zipper, engine part, the weaving of cloth per meter, weave rugs are outsource Works.  Order is, the orders we get from neighbours and environment.. Generally, friends  work going to  the market  is called work for own account  . Work for own account  and dependent work are too involved and mixed. Work for own account   is actually dependent work. For example , People who apply for a job write CV , introduces themselves, which school they graduated and want to show what they could do. We wn-ant to do this at Work for own account  .we  sew Pike , crochet cheesecloth, knit fiber to show our model. Over that Works order come to us.  We are an unıon ,established by the  women who make these three types of works.

    - How do you give a meaning to unionize  within the definition of Economics ?

We are a rights organisation. We are an union , not cooperative or associatıon. We have discussed for long years  to establish this unıon. trying for years, we  have made the revenue arrangements. After discussing seriously on it, we established our union. We have a demand for social security from state. How can the  state  give that the social security right consequently  you care for this country's economy . you can not stay indifferent to this. For that reason we say’’No War’’. Namely ;distribution of income is not  equal in this country, a large part of the budget is loading only one side. In other words, given the war.  So, we are against to the budget ,that streamed to war. Should be given to  human, not the war.  But when we say to human we have priorities. To women, to home-based workers, care homes, nurseries, old-handicapped care homes, asylum homes. We want,the budget  must  be transferred to this side in the place of war. There are our taxes, we are all give taxes. we wonder where our taxes are going. It is same in the domestic economy.if buy three rugs out of needs, you will not have money to go to market. That money, goes to this war,  so it is. If money goes that way, there will not be money at this way. if you say social security right  in a place where there is not any  life security , war nested  you will responded  ’’ I do not have life security’. So , social security is stay at second plan for me.  Therefore, the Unions have to interested in war.

    -Why did  you need Home-based Workers’Union?

We needed it as,we  worked unsecured, most of the  workers are women, no organization defend working safety and to take our rights. The only way to gain social security right is right struggle. Right struggle means unıon. There in not any other solution.

-At what stagee your unıon workıngs?

We  continue to organazing. Besides this we are doing visibility studyings. going out in the press  is a part of it. İntroduced ourselves, reach home based workers, those we could not reach,and ensure them to reach us. We are working in the world of academia. Researches need to be done about this topic. This issue should enter classes.We prepare presentations for  the other workers’ congresses, conferences. We join in the international congresses, conferences and we by this way meet with  home based workers, we share information with them. Provincial  People's Right  Health Assembly is going to be established . During the next period, we will deal with it. Health  Right is a field that we have to interested in. We have problems arising from being woman.we are trying to make sharings  with the other women’s organizations. We know that a thing would not be wiith crying alone. Therefore, we do cooperate.
‘With the common fight we can win our demands'

- Do you have  problems with your union studies?

We do not have problems with organizing. When we told about unıon we do not have problems in organizing. After established the unıon we could be more visible. We can easily tell unıon’s aim and the studyies that have to be done. home workings are entered  Law of Obligations .Good things are happening. We have economic prblems. Financiallyİt is difficult  to go to every place of Turkey in order to reach home based workers. For example, going to Hakkari from there.we are not an organisation  which makes Project and walks over the Project.We try to get over  these problems by staying at our friends’ house and  working together and earn money from these works.. for example we make trips as Muğla. Friends who do not come to trip make donation.  We do not determine the amount. According to our economic force. The giver;itself, determine the fee.

-    What is the  level of communication with home based workers in other countries ? What is the benefit of international organizing?

İt is a working, quickly spread around the world and the majority of its workers are women. There is Four Hour Work Week ,that  We form  it new and even we are in statute of it.  Three of the meetings are held in Turkey. We are in communication with the other countries. We spread very quickly over the world. Domestic work is not enough. According to the laws of Bulgaria, without 100 thousand people it is  unable to establish an  union. Even once, we discussed about it. İf we open an unıon ın Turkey ,home based workers’ in Buulgaria could be member of it. The aim is,  create our demands together. Put such a pressure on the public . once we tought to make a campany. Our members are unsecured workers. the state gave us to court and we  gave the state to court ,too. The State did not win his case but we won. Consequently  supporting each other  with  international conventions and intenational organizations  is too important.. our desire is same. Not only being  woman but also  being home based workers.

-    Could you give information about home net in Turkey?

We consisted international homenet in Turkey. We called it Turkey Home Net as it is the name of our internationl organization. Home Net is being used in two or three country. This unıoın, as I said before, is open to men membership. But the position of women inthis  union struggles, the position of administrator is left behind.  İn managements there are a few women , the problems of women are shifted. However  Home Net, is too important as we could discuss  our problems as a woman. And unıon’s member are only home-based workers. At Home Net there are supporters. The unıon occured from Home Net. So Turkey Home Net is important.
 Home based workers come and lift up our voices! 

-'Turkey, is among the countries did not sign International Labour Organisation’s (ILO)  177 numbered contract working at home.  What do you think of it as home-based workers have a disadvantage?

We don’t see this as disadvantage.Turkey declared itself that, when Turkey conflicts with in its internal law, would decide according to international conventions. Consequently Turkey has to decide according to the international contracts. For now,it doesn’t matter whether ILO contracts’ approved or not approved  . we took such an offer to ILO. if ILO executes for approval studies we will give support as unıon. But we ,as unıon, do not do the thing that ILO has to do and deal with.

    -What  tasks are falling  on puplic opinion on dissemination of the  union struggle?

As women how do we convey our problems, they should convey like that. We are not witness to anyone.We are real workers.  we are the people who actually established this unıon and  carried it out. We are carriying our own policy.  At Congress on Occupational Health union to employees and scholar, as experts,  were given the right to speak for 20 minutes. But it  was given 5 minutes  speak right  to  the organizations.. We objected, and we talked for 20 minutes. The message to us here, they are the policy makers  but you are witnesses. I am telling again, we do not witness to anyone.   İt should be paid attention to  the photos and images when the press writing about us .Their shots suggest home based workers are closed house and served capitalism. Experts claim that this. We do not want be recognised wrongly. Nobody speaks on  behalf of us. Academic studies should be done, investigated and learned. We are organizing as home based workers. We are Turkey’s Unıon and we can not reach to everywhere. We are calling from here to all home based workers. Let’s organizing! Lift up our voice! Take our rights!

Unıon means; make claims upon!

Habibe İNAN, who  lives in Muğla ‘s Bayır town, and member of home based workers’ unıon said that her life has changed with the union struggle, and she stated following ;
The year was 2002. Two women came. They invited us to  their meeting  in Muğla. We had a meeting at the University of Mugla. There were people coming from everywhere. We introduced ourselves. In fact, we thought that these women came to give us work (laughs). Then we learned that it was an union. Factory workers  have a social security. Store employees also have social security. They work for 8 hours, but we work for 16 hours. we thought that; why not we have  our social guarantee and we established that union. We joined to the meetings. And one day we found a market. We marketed the best fabrics of our workings. İf these fabrics  real price is 1tl we said 10 tl in order to not sell them. Those , who did not buy them as they are expensive, gave order. And we did job at home. Organising type is too important. When order  increases, business will be given to women engaged in stitch and embroidery.in a way it will provided an economic power. My family is also happy as I take place in a such working we wondered from that meeting to this meeting. But I had a fear always, in case  we will be in trouble. My husband  also supported .he said; Unıon means; make claims upon!  We went every meeting. Later, we established this unıon.

Our aim is getting our  social security. If we could  receive our  salary we will be social, too. They told us ; ‘’These women’s head  are covered.they have no sociability.’’ We are social,worker,farmer. we get over all tasks. Because we are women! As we are women they see us low. But we are mothers.mother is most holy. When we were 6 years old we started to  work. All of us, processed  tobacco , picked up olive,went to cotton. We worked at every kind of jobs, But we could not claim any rights. Imagine we do not have any rights. We claim our rights.

‘Society is called as organization’

Hafize KAPIŞ, living in Muğla’s Bayır Town  and member of home-based workers’ unıon,stated that she received great support from her family during the union activities,and she added;

I left school at the age of 12. I worked at a lot of works like; agricultural work, hand work, dowry, bench worker . And also we worked without any social guarantee. I married when I was 18 years old. After marriage the problems are increased. Unemployment on the one hand, on the one hand impecuniosity. Our days passed somehow. We have heard the name of the union. We said ;let’s be a member of unıon .We went to Muğla and Ankara. We  bustled for the sake of our social assurance. Now, I am 66 years old. I want to get our social guarantee. As we believe in the union struggle we go to every meeting. without saying rain and snow. I went to the unıon with the support of my husband.he said to me that ‘ go there and you will have social guarantee’’ my son also welcomed it. When I went to the first meeting, they said’’ organization- organization’’. We do not know what is organization.I said to my son that’’ they say  ‘organization’. we feared.’’and my son said to me ‘they called society  as organization’. So I approached fearlessly. We joıned and  we came until today. We are doing housework and bench work.but on the one hand, we wonder if can we  get our social guarantee. Even at  night that comes to my dream. I want to make calls to all women who listened via JIN news agency. Become home-based. They are making houseworks. They are doing hand works,too.  There is not any income.They will be home-based course, because only in this way we can success.

‘’When we go to hospital, we are treated with our husband’s insurance, but why? I am also a worker.’’

Sonay Tezcan, member of Home Based Workers’ Union told that sooner or later they will win their social assurances,and continued;

I have never heard about  Home Based Workers’ Unıon. Once I visited to my friend, Hebik. it was talked about there, I listened. I liked their talkings.I asked; Can I be a member of it? And we started. After the things we  have done ,we can not get the worth of our  labor. I decided to be a member of union in order to have  assurances. I belived, I trusted. Thus I became member. We have been doing meetings since 2002. I started working since I was 6 years old. There was an abundance of poverty. To support our mothers we have done every job.We went to school but because of tabocco works  and watering seedlings we could not contınoued our lessons.  After meeting unıon, I went myself.my family supported to me. I did tailoring and I worked as a seller at markets. I have never had a social assurance.I started to be with home based workers. We support each other. Because, the absence of social assurance caused many problems. When we went  to hospital, we were  treated with our husband’s insurance. My husband is retired from bond-exchange rates he has been  working since the age of 6,too. But I am also a worker. Why I have to depended on my husband? I make call to women from Turkey,trust,let us be in unity and solidarity. Let us support each other. We can get our social insurance. Some are afraid of their husband, some are afraid of the environmen. We believed, trusted, so we started this work. We are women workers. Trust with everyone else, we also get our insurance.
‘As Women's labor insulted,life became disfiguration’

Figen Aras, member of  Ekin Ceren women's association,stated that Home Based Workers’ Unıon is too important in terms of  labor visibility. Aras says ,women should work in common and contınued;
Economics is an activity that has emerged to create value. Provides the balance of Socialization. The origin of the word income from ‘eco-nomus' . that is very important point. Eco-nomos means; domestic law, women's jobs, home jobs, jobs for women.Eco-nomos , economics, is a matter of women. İt based on production. The Economist is the maker of that work. therefor, economist is woman. Getting  out of  women’s home law,there is not life outside of it.Namely, Forced to robbing, exploitting, live without labor spending  is unacceptable. Women, poor and depended on men,  are required to be create. Although  women are the most  working  in the world, according to statistics, the women in the poorest ones. As Women's labor insulted,life became disfiguration. Women exposed to be in need  of men to survive and be able to have rendered herself. As we all know the definition of economics has changed  , different definitions were made available onwards. Because there is an order formed on the profit. Women do not  appear in the economy. Because she is just a mother at home. Definition is done here.

‘Home based workers’ unıon ,claims to be the owner of its value’

When we look at the world economy Capitalists comes to our  mind . In the face of these there are workers and slaves. Someone creates, and someone cornering. Women Create world population. However, three-quarters of the world's population is poor and these are women.Many of business sector seeing women’s labor as her natural task. Here you have a problem in mentality. Women are invisible in the economy. Their first duty is motherhood. Workers ones  are being exploited in the two-fold among workers. But  also there are women who are working at home but are not considered to be working. The value and labor that they have created is necessarily benefit for society. But they are invisible and .are not recognized. Here it is important to make it appear. Home-based  workers Fought to be unionize. they are fettered. But they came together. As far as we can follow from the pres. We ,as women's associations are following them closely. We attach great importance. In fact, in this context they reveals how had been pulled  down women's identity . they make questionize male sovereignty system. There are  legal regulations for  the system of  unionism in the world. There have to be  boss, Insurance has to be. But home-based women have not got insurance primarily. Therefore, when they suffered loss of rights theree is not any mechanism addressed to them. In Turkey, there are struggles from 1994. But  they lived inhibitions. However, with the ILO Convention   the home-based  working women status  is entering to worker group. Knitting socks at home, cleaning, child care, etc. .. include all. But  as I said they are not known very much.

‘We women, we accomplishit  if we struggle  together’

This is a union of which is  ignored by the system. The system is blocking  to  to be  included in the agenda in a conscious way.But those who study women, feminists have  to support this struggle, reveal it  in order to bring to light their  struggle with the system. We must  support it. Thus it can be possible to show the solidarity of women. I hope they will be successfull. But if we struggle  together with them, they would be more successfull. Despite the great risks they are working. They are living big problems, caused by being woman. For example, a woman is cleaning with bleach for hours. And she makes this every day. This is a big victimization. All they need to be  discussed. they are doing with very little money very high quality work at home. But when the product goes to market is growing by an incredible price. But  a tiny pocket money remains to the woman. If a rug’s sale of 2 billion, £ 100-200 for the labor of women. women's labor is exploited. for this reason they are struggling. We are celebrating them from here. We specify that we are always ready to support.

(ha/hp)