Unions prep talks to expand social security for domestic workers

ANKARA

Trade unions in Türkiye are preparing to enter formal negotiations with the government over extending full labor protections and social security coverage to the country’s domestic workers, a workforce estimated to number nearly 1.5 million, including caregivers arriving from abroad.

Mahmut Arslan, head of the confederation Hak-İş, said discussions with the Labor and Social Security Ministry could take place as early as March or April.

“We have reached a certain stage,” Arslan told a group of journalists. “We will meet with the minister to ensure these workers are brought under the scope of the Labor Law.”

According to Arslan, approximately 1.31 million people are currently employed in domestic work across Türkiye. At present, most are insured only against occupational accidents, leaving them without comprehensive social security benefits such as retirement contributions, health coverage or unemployment protection.

Trade unions have launched a campaign advocating for their inclusion under the Labor Law, arguing that the existing framework leaves a significant segment of the labor force vulnerable.

Union representatives say they have examined models in Spain and Belgium while drafting their proposal. The suggested system would require employers to deposit wages into a dedicated fund whenever a domestic worker is employed.

Simultaneously, the employer would pay the worker’s pension premium into the same mechanism. Upon completion of the job, the worker would receive payment directly from the fund. Oversight would fall under the Social Security Institution (SGK).

Arslan emphasized that the model is designed not as a fiscal burden but as a mechanism that could contribute to financing the broader social security system.

However, he acknowledged that the Treasury and Finance Ministry is cautious about introducing medium-term liabilities.

To ease the cost burden on employers, unions propose that the state provide targeted incentives, potentially drawing on unemployment insurance funds to support the transition.

Separately, Arslan disclosed that the structure of Türkiye’s Minimum Wage Determination Commission is expected to change in 2026.

The commission currently comprises representatives of workers, employers and the government. Hak-İş has proposed adopting elements of the German model, under which wage negotiations are conducted primarily between labor and employer representatives, with the government taking a less direct role.