Turkish Physicians’ Union in Cyprus Calls for Action Against Health Labor Exploitation
Cyprus Turkish Physicians’ Union Addresses Labor Exploitation in Health Care Sector
The Cyprus Turkish Physicians’ Union has issued a statement regarding the exploitation of labor in the healthcare sector for many years. The President of the Union, Şükrü Onbası, has called on the state to fulfill its responsibilities and regulate the situation.
On the occasion of May 1 Labor Day, Şükrü Onbası emphasized that the assistant physicians specialized half of their period in TRNC and the other half in Turkey. He stated that these doctors were employed to compensate for the missing workforce in the emergency services, except for their branches, and that no wages were paid for the service shifts they held, which amounted to unconstitutional work.
Furthermore, Onbası pointed out that assistant physicians were employed without any social security or general health insurance coverage, or salary, when sent to the Republic of Turkey in the second half of their specialization training.
Moreover, it was revealed that the insurance premiums and savings of 85 health workers employed in different units and levels of Burhan Nalbantoğlu State Hospital by subcontractors have not been paid for one year. These people continue to work without social security, and nurses who work in the emergency services on a shift basis are not paid for the occupational risk allowance. The shift allocation of contracted general practitioners was also not paid despite being paid to permanent ones. Furthermore, the principle of equal pay for equal work has been violated as the shift wages of health workers have not been paid for four months.
Onbası stated that governments that do not provide union rights to private sector workers are contributing to exploitation, with employees working informally without social security and below minimum wage. The Cyprus Turkish Physicians’ Union will continue to fight for labor rights and expects the state to take responsibility and act accordingly to end labor exploitation in the health sector.
