Resolutions of the 4th Congress

Resolutions of the 4th Congress

The 4^th Congress (General Assembly) of the ÖZ SAĞLIK-İŞ Trade Union held on 07-08 November 2025 in Ankara. Delegates of the ÖZ SAĞLIK-İŞ Trade Union accepted 36 resolutions in 4 different categories at this congress, as a roadmap for the union to be implemented in the field during the upcoming 4 years, till the next congress.

The ÖZ SAĞLIK-İŞ Trade Union considers labour as a fundamental value that makes human and social life possible. Its struggle approach and understanding forms/is the basis of its union philosophy.

The ÖZ SAĞLIK-İŞ Trade Union has defined its mission as building such a trade union understanding which is based on virtue and trust by prioritising human and its labour.

The ÖZ SAĞLIK-İŞ Trade Union has been keeping on its efforts and advancement for 11 years within an exclusive approach claiming a unique place of right (justice) and righteous in order to build such a healthy and dignified trade union structure on the basis of domestic, national foundation and global principles and values.

ÖZ SAĞLIK-İŞ, which has risen to become the third largest workers’ union in Türkiye and within the Health and Social Services sector under our confederation HAK-İŞ, continues to assume greater responsibility in the union struggle with the strength and confidence gained from its numerical growth.

The Öz Sağlık-İş Union, one of the top 3 largest unions in Türkiye, second biggest affiliation of the HAK-IS Trade Union Confederation and the leading one in the Turkish health and social services sector with over 225,000 members, 97 branches, and over 3,500 workplace representatives (shop stewards), continues to take greater responsibility in the union struggle with the strength and confidence gained from its numerical growth.

The ÖZ SAĞLIK-İŞ Trade Union is going to keep on its development and fortify its power by upholding its existing values and creating new new values for its ongoing struggle without deviating from its ‘Values-Based Unionism‘ approach.”

As a pro-active and respected member of the international labour movement, the ÖZ SAĞLIK-İŞ continues to intensify its efforts for making tangible contributions into trade union movements wherever they may be all around the world, particularly within the framework of principles, standards, norms and policies of PSI (the Public Services International) and EPSU, (the European Publice Services Trade Union) and to expand and strengthen dialogue channels and cooperation mechanisms against every type of neo-liberal oppression and attacks on labour.

The ÖZ SAĞLIK-İŞ Trade Union precisely reveals its demands for the creation of effective and sustainable policies based on social dialogue, and the implementation of social and economic policies that align with the realities of the country with the aim of strengthening democracy, expanding human rights and freedoms, integrating working life with international norms, strengthening the public and private sectors in terms of employment and income, eliminating poverty, ensuring fair income distribution, reducing unemployment, and bringing informal employment into the formal sector in our country.

The ÖZ SAĞLIK-İŞ Trade Union updated its approach and policies at its 4th Congress (Ordinary General Assembly) held on 7-8 November 2025 in Ankara by adopting the following resolutions under these categories/headings: General Understanding of Unionism, Policies to the Türkiye Agenda, Social Policies and Strengthening Institutional Capacity in order to lay out its roadmap for the 2025-2029 period (till next congress).

GENERAL FRAMEWORK OF THE ÖZ SAĞLIK-İŞ 4TH CONGRESS RESOLUTIONS

UNIONISM UNDERSTANDING OF THE ÖZ SAĞLIK-İŞ

ÖZ SAĞLIK-İŞ shall strengthen its union philosophy of “The Place of the Right and the Righteous.”
ÖZ SAĞLIK-İŞ shall continue to grow numerically while strengthening in values.
International trade union cooperation and solidarity are a priority of ÖZ SAĞLIK-İŞ.
We shall continue to act in accordance with the principle of Academic Unionism.

POLICIES REGARDING TÜRKİYE AGENDA

The Presidential Government System should be strengthened by a new civil, democratic and participatory constitution.
We have not forgotten, and will not forget, the treacherous coup and attempted occupation of 15 July 2016, in which our nation defended its country, state and survival.
Türkiye should continue to pursue an active, proactive and reliable foreign policy at both international and regional levels.
Policies must be developed to combat global warming and climate change and to ensure environmental protection.
The commercialisation of water, which is a fundamental human right and whose resources are increasingly diminishing, must be prevented, and all people must be guaranteed direct access to water.
All sources of threats and terrorism directed against public order must be eradicated.

7. Wars and conflicts, including those in Türkiye’s surrounding geography, must be brought to an end as soon as possible, and regional countries must attain peace and stability.

SOCIO-ECONOMIC POLICIES

Public administration reforms shall be strengthened.
Social protection and social welfare policies must be developed.
Greater efforts must be made to combat barriers to unionisation, and all legal obstacles must be removed.
Severance pay rights must be strengthened with new safeguards.
The minimum wage must be determined through a realistic approach, in a fair and pluralistic representative structure, and at a level that ensures human dignity and a decent minimum living standard.
Law No. 6356 on Trade Unions and Collective Bargaining Agreements must be revised in a manner that strengthens democratic and free trade unionism.
The provisions of Labour Law No. 4857 must be renewed and effectively implemented.
New regulations must be introduced to define the working procedures and principles of workers transferred under the Presidential Decree No. 696 and to ensure uniformity in implementation.
Transfer, promotion, assignment and career advancement rights must be guaranteed for all public workers, including those transferred under the Presidential Decree No. 696.
Subcontracted workers who are not covered by the Presidential Decree No. 696 must be transferred to permanent worker positions.
The staffing arrangements adopted for workers employed by subcontractors in State-Owned Enterprises must be fully implemented.
Trade union organisation must be expanded and collective bargaining rights must be guaranteed for all workers in health and social services, including those in the public and private sectors.
Effective and sustainable occupational health and safety measures must be taken, working environments must be made safer, and continuity in inspections must be ensured.
Comprehensive dialogue and cooperation with social partners and civil society organisations must be developed.
A Permanent Social Dialogue Committee must be established in the Health and Social Services Sector.
Vocational education and lifelong learning must be strengthened.
Child labour must be eliminated.
Family structures must be strengthened in order to build a strong society.
Violence and femicides against women must be prevented, and awareness and sensitivity must be raised together with necessary regulations against psychological harassment (mobbing) in workplaces.

STRENGTHENING INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY

Measures must be taken to increase women’s participation in the labour market and their involvement in decision-making mechanisms.
Policies must be developed to ensure the reconciliation of work and family life.
Youth employment must be increased and trade union awareness among young people must be strengthened.
Employment opportunities and social inclusion of persons with disabilities must be enhanced.
The role of cultural and artistic activities within the trade union movement must be expanded.
The contributions of digital communication are recognised, and efforts must be made to establish a Social Media Committee accordingly.