Midwives and nurses protest "symbolic raises," demand fair wages

Midwives and nurses in Turkey feel their economic rights are being disregarded, despite official claims of salary increases. The Birlik ve Dayanışma Sendikası union argues that while the government presents recent pay adjustments as "raises," the actual net income for these healthcare professionals remains below the poverty line.

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Today, the wages received by midwives and nurses are still below the poverty line. While on one hand, the public is given the message 'we have made improvements' with symbolic raises, on the other hand, due to tax brackets, deductions from patients who do not come, and the coefficient injustice in the wages of midwives and nurses, the net income of employees is constantly eroding.

Union board member Melike Sigeze explained that tax brackets, various deductions, and outdated calculation coefficients significantly diminish their earnings. She stated that the increases are not permanent improvements to their real income. "They give with a spoon but take back with a shovel," Sigeze said, criticizing the government's narrative of "improved salaries." She emphasized that these are not raises but rather a partial return of "usurped labor."

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They give with a spoon but take back with a shovel. We cannot call this a raise. You are not giving a raise, you are returning a part of our usurped labor.

Sigeze also highlighted the disconnect between the Health Ministry's promotion of natural births and the lack of support for midwives, who are crucial to this policy. "The Health Ministry ignores the labor and economic rights of midwives, who are one of the most important actors in natural birth," she stated. She argued that increasing professional responsibilities without commensurate compensation devalues the midwifery profession to mere rhetoric.

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The Health Ministry ignores the labor and economic rights of midwives, who are one of the most important actors in natural birth. Not giving the reward for the labor of midwives, who increase their professional responsibility, goes beyond merely supporting the midwifery profession at the level of discourse.

The union has initiated legal action to change the "unjust regulation" that limits base pay increases for midwives and nurses. They are demanding wages that allow for a decent life, not just symbolic raises. "The low-wage policies that devalue these professions must end," Sigeze concluded, calling for fair compensation that reflects their labor and responsibilities.

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We are not asking for symbolic raises. We want the reward for our labor, a wage that is sufficient for a decent life. The wages received by midwives and nurses should not be below the poverty line. The devaluation of these professions through low-wage policies must end.