Öz Sağlık İşçileri Sendikası
Our Syndicate, the Öz Sağlık-İş Health and Social Services Workers’ Union, hosted the International Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Congress on 20-21 May 2026 in Ankara, capital city of Türkiye in close cooperation with and support of the HAK-İŞ Trade Union Confederation, the Federation of Health and Social Services Associations (SADEFE), our Union’s Academic superstructure (the Öz Sağlık-İş Strategic Research Centre – ÖZSAM), the Occupational Health and Safety Research and Development Centre (İSGAM), and the World Islamic Health Union (WIHU).
The International Occupational Health and Safety Congress whose theme was “Sustainable Work Environments” was hosted by our Union, the Öz Sağlık-İş Health and Social Services Workers’ Union, kicked-off on May 20, 2026.
Co-chairs of the said congress were undertaken by Mr. Devlet Sert, our Union President together with Opr. Dr. Orhan Koç who is the President of the Federation of Health and Social Services Associations (SADEFE).
The first day of the two-day international OHS congress covered opening and protocol speeches and 3 panel sessions. And, the second day of the Int’l OHS Congress involved 5 separate panels and the reading of the submitted papers.
Mr. Devlet Sert, President of the Öz Sağlık-İş Health and Social Services Workers’ Union and Acting President of the HAK-İŞ Confederation, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gülçin Sarıyıldız, Member of the Turkish Presidential Council on Health Policies; Mr. Erhan Taylan, Director General of Occupational Health and Safety Unit of the Turkish Ministry of Labour and Social Security together with Mr. İsmail Öztürk, Mr. Emre Kocaman, Mr. Muhammet Esat Eyvaz and Mr. Fehmi Azboy that are our union Executive Board Members and Vice-Presidents, Mr. Fadlı Erdem who is the Öz Sağlık-İş Union General Secretary, Mr. Yavuz Aksanoğlu that is the Öz Sağlık-İş Deputy General Secretary as well as other sectorial union presidents and executives (Mr. Rafi AY, President of the Öz İplik-İş Union; Mr. Ömer Yılmaz, President of the Öz Güven-Sen Union, Mr. Tuncay Dolu, President of the Öz Ağaç-İş Union; Mr. Semih Aydıner, President of the Öz İletişim -İş Union, Mr. Mehmet Keskin, President of the OLEYİS Union, Mr. Zekeriya Koca, President of the Öz İnşaat-İş Union, and Mr. Ali Bilgin, General Secretary of the Öz Orman-İş Union), a number of academicians, OHS experts, our union’s branch presidents and board members; and the press and media staff attended the opening ceremony of the said congress.
Prior to the opening remarks at the OSH Congress, which began with a moment of (stand) silence and the playing of the Turkish National Anthem, a briefing about occupational safety and health measures and building security applications at the Öz Sağlık-İş Trade Union was given to the audience.
MR. SERT: OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH IS NOW A FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHT
Mr. Devlet Sert, President of the Öz Sağlık-İş Health and Social Services Workers’ Union and Vice-President of the HAK-İŞ Trade Union Confederation: “Occupational health and safety (OHS) is not just a matter of regulations; it is also a basic human right and such as life with dignity.”
Mr. Sert emphasized that occupational health and safety was not merely a technical field of legislation or regulation for us by noting that it was a fundamental human right which was associated with right to life, a matter of human dignity and is directly linked to safe working conditions.
Mr. Sert marked the following points about OHS policies and issues:
“The main theme of this year’s conference is “sustainable work environments.” In other words, the topics of this conference represent not only the present but also our vision for shaping the future of work. In fact, when we look at the content and intended purpose of a conference prepared with such care, it is not merely a conference but an organisation that sheds light on a grand vision where we will discuss the safety of labour, the value of human rights, and the conscience of the working world.”
As trade unions and workers, we believe first and foremost that occupational health and safety means to make any workers return home safe and sound, and that no tears are shed by any mothers, any fathers, or any children. It also means that any workers do not contract any kinds of occupational disease or suffer any workplace accidents while they are striving to earn some money for good living conditions, and that those OHS measures and policies should lead a healthy working life, decent working conditions in physically and psychologically ways.
MR. SERT: THERE IS A LARGE OHS LABOUR FORCE IN TÜRKİYE
“At the present, there is a very large OHS labour force in Türkiye. According to the latest statistics, there are a total of 64,145 occupational safety experts. Additionally, 28,323 occupational physicians and 14,389 other healthcare professionals to maintain OHS services properly throughout the country. Therefore a total of 107,000 OHS individuals are employed as specialized human resources in the field of Occupational Safety and Health.
However, I must regretfully state that a large portion of this vast workforce is not organised, they have not joined any union yet. These colleagues are engaged in an unorganised labor struggle. And they are outside of a strong protective structure capable of defending their rights. Unorganised labour is defenseless as occupational diseases and/or work accident cases are getting minimized at those workplaces where any unions get organised (or workers join unions). In other words, unionised workers feel secure in every respect. In workplaces with union organisation, volume of production is getting bigger, the quality of services and production is getting better, and then profit of the company is increasing.
As the Öz Sağlık-İş Union that has steadily been studying OHS issues for years and (has) precisely prioritised OHS matters in every collective bargaining agreement, we are able to call for unionised OHS labour force to join our union. Let’s come together to put an end to the marginalisation and invisibility of occupational health and safety individuals that work hard and fight tirelessly to ensure that other workers can access safe (and decent) working conditions. The Öz Sağlık-İş Union and the HAK-İŞ Confederation are present and active for this very purpose.
A very intensive and enlightening conference program awaits us over next two days. As the Öz Sağlık-İş President, I would like to thank all the contributors which are the Health and Social Services Associations Federation (SADEFE) , HAK-İŞ Confederation, the Öz Sağlık-İş Academic Supreme Structure (ÖZSAM), the Occupational Health and Safety Research and Development Center (İSGAM), and the World Islamic Health Union (WIHU) for bringing a valuable scientific labour force into the occupational health and safety literature.”
ASSOC.PROF. DR.ERDEM: OHS MEASURES NEVER MEAN COST
Speaking at the opening of the congress, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Erdem, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Occupational Health and Safety Research CentrE, expressed his satisfaction with the organisation of such a congress in which they are also stakeholders, and stated that a “cost-oriented approach to occupational health and safety measures” is wrong by emphasizing that “These measures should never mean cost. As long as the parties look at these measures from a cost perspective, no sufficient steps can be taken in occupational health and safety.” Mr. Erdem also thanked our Union for hosting the said OHS congress.
OP.DR. ORHAN KOÇ: TAKIN OWNERSHIP OF OHS ISSUES BY A WORKER UNION IS EXTREMELY SIGNIFICANT
Op. Dr. Orhan Koç, Chairman of the Board of Directors of SADEFE, who also co-chaired the Congress, stated that he considered taking ownership of the OHS issues by a worker syndicate and its executives extremely meaningful. By drawing attention to the high number of university stakeholders at the international occupational health and safety congress, Dr. Koç underlined that this was the first time the subject had been addressed at such a high academic level.
Stating that over 50 academics would participate in the sessions and present their papers at the congress, Dr. Koç also expressed that they considered the work done in this area in partnership with the Öz Sağlık-İş Union and İSGAM to be important for the sector and organisation.
MR. TAYLAN: OHS ACTIVITIES MUST PROGRESS WITHOUT LOSING THE HUMAN FOCUS
Mr. Erhan Taylan was, General Director of Occupational Health and Safety General Directorate of the Turkish Ministry of Labour and Social Security, was another opening speaker at the congress, stated that he considered meaningful that the issue of occupational health and safety would be discussed academically at an international congress.
Mr. Taylan noted that they closely followed the Öz Sağlık-İş Union activities and considered the value that a worker union and its executives placed OHS significant. Mr. Taylan added that the knowledge and findings from those academics who would present papers at the congress would be very important to OHS professionals and would serve as a roadmap. He also emphasized that occupational health and safety activities should be carried out without losing sight of the human element.
ASSOC. PROF. DR. GÜLÇİN SARIYILDIZ: THANKS TO THIS CONGRESS, THE OHS ISSUE IS BEING ADDRESSED FROM SO MANY PERSPECTIVES FOR THE FIRST TIME
Associate Professor Dr. Gülçin Sarıyıldız, a member of the Turkish Presidential Health Policies Board and the Chair of the TOBB Health Commission, attended the congress. Dr. Sarıyıldız stated that they found it important that the OHS issue was addressed from multiple perspectives with so many partners for the first time.
She pointed out that in occupational health and safety subject, in case of any negative situation, the blame is often placed on the experts. Associate Professor Dr. Gülçin Sarıyıldız emphasized that since 2022, under the patronage of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the OHS matter has been seen as a human right by adding that OHS should now be considered a fundamental human right in our country, as it is in developed countries, and policies should be developed accordingly.
3 PANELS HELD ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE OHS CONGRESS
Three panels were held on the first day of the International Occupational Health and Safety Congress. Title of the first panel was, chaired by Op. Dr. Orhan Koç and Prof. Dr. Mehmet Merve Özaydin who is academician at the Department of Labour Economics and Industrial Relations at the Hacı Bayram Veli University’s Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, “Occupational Health and Safety Policies, Labour Rights and Relations.”
At this panel, Mr. Emre Kocaman who is one of Executive Board Members and Vice-President being charge of Organisational Affairs, brief the participants on the topic of union organising issues and development of OHS culture matter, as well as ongoing organising efforts of the Öz Sağlık-İş Union.
MR. EYVAZ MADE A PRESENTATION ABOUT LEGAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF OSH PROFESSIONALS
The topic of the first panel held on the second day of the conference was “The Role and Legal Responsibilities of OSH Professionals and Judicial Proceedings.” During this panel, Attorney Muhammet Esat Eyvaz who is one of Executive Board Members and Vice-President being charge of Financial Affairs, made a presentation about the legal responsibilities of OSH professionals. This panel was co-moderated by Mr. Eyvaz and Prof. Dr. Metin Hasde, a faculty member at the University of Health Sciences (Sağlık Bilimleri Üniversitesi).
The second panel of the first day of the conference was held under the title “Occupational Risks Among Health and Social Services Workers: Known and Emerging Threats.” This panel was moderated by Prof. Dr. Mustafa Necmi İlhan from the Gazi University.
The topic of the final (3rd) panel on the first day of the conference was “Occupational Safety and Health Practices in Public Institutions and Universities and Challenges in the Field.” The panel was co-moderated by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Serap Tepe from the Health Sciences University and Mr. Muammer Erden, a lecturer from the Adnan Menderes University.
The second panel of the conference’s second day was held under the title “Occupational Health and Safety from the Perspectives of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence.” This panel was co-moderated by Prof. Dr. Şeref Sağıroğlu from the Gazi University together with Mr. Fatih Orhan, a lecturer from the Health Sciences University. At this panel, the topic “AI-Supported Risk Analysis and Early Warning Systems” was presented by Abidin Özler, a lecturer at Üsküdar University while another presentation whose title was “Occupational Health and Safety Practices in the Private Sector: A Best Practice Example” was delivered by Mr. Engin Güven from the Tez Medikal company.
The third panel of the second day focused on occupational health and safety issues of the healthcare and social services workers. Title of this panel was “The Health and Safety of Health and Social Services Workers Across Various Fields: From Disasters to Pandemics, from Operating Rooms to Clinics, and from Family Medicine to Home Health Care” to address OHS issues from the health and social services workers’ perspectives. The panel was co-moderated by Mr. Fehmi Azboy who is one of Executive Board Members and Vice-President being charge of Training and Social Affairs together with Prof. Dr. Mustafa Necmi İlhan from the Gazi University Medicine Faculty.
MR. AZBOY AND MR. ÖZTÜRK MADE PRESENTATIONS FOR ENSURING OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY FOR THE HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES WORKERS AND LABOUR RIGHTS AMONG PUBLIC SERVICES WORKERS IN THE OHS CONTEXT
The third panel of the second day of the conference coverdd occupational health and safety issues for health and social services labour force. Mr. Fehmi Azboy stated, Vice-President of the Öz Sağlık-İş Union, that it was impossible to protect public health without firstly protecting the health of health and social services workers.
The fourth panel on the second day of the conference was co-moderated by Dr. Turhan Şalva, Assistant Professor at Maltepe University, and Dr. Ahmet Çabuk, Assistant Professor at Karabük University. At this panel, Mr. İsmail Öztürk, Executive Board Member and Vice-President being charge of Collective Bargaining issues, focused on “The Current Situation of Union Organisation Among Public Sector Workers by making his presentation under the title of “Labour Rights Issues Among Public Sector Workers in the Context of OHS matter“.
FINAL PANEL HELD ONLINE VIA REMOTE CONNECTION TOOLS
At the second day of our International Occupational Health and Safety Congress, international participants from various countries joined the final panel remotely and delivered their presentations online. This panel session was moderated by Prof. Dr. Ahmet Ural from the Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University and the first presentation was delivered by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Norsuhana Omar from the Medical Sciences Faculty from of Malaysia on the topic of “Health of Healthcare Workers from an Occupational Medicine Perspective.”
Second speaker of this panel was Dr. Jalılah Khadeejah Lao from Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital from the Philippines to present on “Occupational Stress and Burnout: An Emerging Occupational Health Crisis.”
Third presentation was made by Dr. Rocaya Vanessa Saranganı Mangondato from King Ahmed Medical Clinic from the Philippines under the title of “Beyond Burnout: Moral Distress and Psychological Safety as Emerging Occupational Health Risks Among Healthcare Workers”.
Fourth presentation was made by Dr. Nany Haırunısa from the Faculty of Medicine at Universitas Trisakti from Indonesia under the title of “Occupational Exposure to Asbestos, Silica, and Other Inorganic Dusts in Indonesia: Current Status, Challenges, and Policy Gaps.”
A CANADIAN ACADEMIC DELIVERED THE CONFERENCE’S KEYNOTE SPEECH
The keynote speech whose title was “How Modern Healthcare Services Exhaust the Human Body and How We Can Heal: The Anatomy of Burnout,” was presented by Canadian Academic Dr. Jalees Razavı under the moderation of Mr. Mehmet Erdem Alagüney from the Health Sciences University.
A THEATER PERFORMANCE WHOSE TITLE IS THE ROADS LEAD BACK WAS STAGED BY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
The second day of the conference was highlighted by a theater performance staged by a group of high school students from the Sincan Nefise Andiçen Health Vocational High School, Ankara, under the title of “The Roads Lead Back”. The said theatre performance addressed the dialogues between workers with chronic illnesses and their occupational physicians, as well as the unsafe commuter services they used.
The International Occupational Health and Safety Congress, concluded with the verbal presentations and taking family photos.
