ANKARA - SES made a statement on the occasion of May, World Midwifes' Day, saying: “The duties of the midwifery profession should be clarified, the Occupational Definitions Law should be enacted and their professional independence should be given back.”

 

The board of the Trade Union of Employees in Public Health and Social Services (SES) issued a written statement on the occasion of May 5, World Midwifes Day. In the statement emphasizing that the profession of midwifery is as old as human history, it was pointed out that it is known as a smart and wise woman in various cultures, beliefs, and languages. Stating that midwifes have worked to reproduce life in every period of history, the statement said: “In the historical process, they have played a role in the scope of healing, public health and preventive health care. Today, with the health policies followed, it is tried to be separated from its historical context and to destroy its autonomous and original structure, to devalue it and to make it invisible as a profession. Throughout human history, with neoliberal policies and health transformation programs, they do not see the value they deserve, and even their labor is ignored.”

 

‘We face with anti-democratic practices and increasing pressure’

 

In the statement, it was noted that midwifes were exploited as both women and laborers, and it was stated that the problems of the midwifery profession, which is perceived as a female profession, are possible with the struggle for labor and women's freedom. In the statement, “The health transformation program, which is the product of neoliberal policies carried out by the Justice and Development Party (AKP), ignored the professional autonomy of midwifes, increased their problems, and defined the midwifery profession as "family health worker." With the health transformation program, the understanding that makes health salable and has increased the exploitation of our labor. We, midwifes, who work in Family Health Center (ASM), Community Health Center (TSM), private, and public hospitals, are struggling with the problems of job and income insecurity, intensive seizures, low wages, risky working conditions, performance system, total quality management understanding, additional payments not reflected in retirement and leaving additional payments at the mercy of hospital managers. This year, we are greeting midwifes’ week with the negativities caused by the epidemic, deepening economic crisis, increasing poverty, anti-democratic practices and increasing pressures.”

 

‘We do not want to be neither applause nor hero’

 

In the statement, which drew attention to the problems deepening with the pandemic, it was noted that the increased workload reinforces the feeling of being devalued as well as the feeling of drudgery, mobbing, violence, burnout. In the statement, underlining that they managed to struggle for peace and democracy during the process of exploitation of their labor, “You applauded us, you declared us heroes; We do not want to be a hero or applause, we want our demands to be met. On the day of midwifes, we do not accept to listen to promises, to stall, we want solutions. As midwifes, which are the most important dynamics of health and social life, we will not stop repeating our demands for the right to health and social services of the people together with our economic, personal, social and democratic demands.”

 

The midwifes listed their demands as follows:

 

“* Not paying based on performance, but increasing the basic wage above the poverty line by taking into the account the increasing inflation and regulating all additional payments made / to be made to be reflected on retirement,

* The duties of the midwifery profession should be clarified, the Professional Definitions Law should be enacted and their professional independence should be given back,

* In every workplace, 24/7 open, qualified, free nursery service in mother tongue should be provided,

* To protect our health in the pandemic, appropriate personal protective equipment should be provided in an appropriate number, quality and suitable for women workers,

* Maternity leaves should be rearranged for 24 months,

 * Since midwifery is a unique profession, its job description and authorities should be determined, the obstacles to specialization should be removed,

 * Midwifery profession should be removed from the 'Family Health Worker' class and necessary arrangements should be made,

* Occupational health and safety practices should be given due importance, health and social service workers who are diagnosed with Covid-19 should be counted as occupational accidents and occupational diseases regardless of their casual connection,

* Midwifes who work as proxy and contracted in ASMs should be recruited,

* Intern midwifes should be evaluated and vaccinated in priority in vaccination.”