After the enactment of the Public Sector Workers Unions Law in 2001, public sector unions began engaging in collective bargaining with the Ministry of Labor. Since the law did not recognize the right to collective labor agreements (CLA) and strikes, KESK (Confederation of Public Employees’ Unions) referred to this law as the “fake union law.” Despite this, KESK still considered collective bargaining significant, viewing the negotiations as a process to create public awareness regarding organization and the demands of public sector employees. KESK’s women also collected the demands of female public sector employees before the negotiations. They aimed to publicize these demands through statements, marches, and press activities, creating pressure on public authorities.

Later, collective bargaining was replaced by collective labor agreements, but these agreements did not gain enforcement power. In the overwhelming majority of collective labor agreement tables where union delegations and ministry delegations were present, those who voiced women’s demands were the KESK delegations prepared by KESK’s women.

In 2013, when KESK’s co-general president stated that the demands of female workers would be voiced by KESK’s female secretary, representatives from delegations outside KESK vehemently objected. The speech of KESK Women’s Secretary Gülistan Atasoy was prevented. This incident resonated in the public. Although Gülistan Atasoy could not speak at the CLA table, her press statement after the meeting drew attention to the male-dominated character of the table. She managed to raise awareness in the public regarding the CLA demands of women public workers. The delegations that prevented Atasoy’s speech in 2013 later felt compelled, even if only symbolically, to include items related to women in their demands.

• For the news article “KESK Women’s Secretary Not Allowed to Speak at CLA Meeting,” click here.
• To access KESK Women’s 2011 CLA demands, click here.
• To access KESK Women’s 2014-2015 CLA demands, click here.
• To access KESK Women’s 2018-2019 CLA demands, click here.
• To access the press statement “We Demand What Is Rightfully Ours” – KESK Women’s 2019 CLA Demands, click here.
• To access KESK Women’s 2020-2021 CLA demands, click here.