Unionisation of homebased workers in Turkey

One of the most important results of the transformation in the organization of production is the growing number of homebased workers who combine earning cash for their families with unpaid household work, agricultural work and other forms of informal work in all parts of the world. Homebased work is largely informal i.e. outside formal systems of employment and social protection.  The majority of homebased workers are women and they are also generally outside of the formal trade unions.  However, new forms of organising have been developed which are a combination of extending traditional union organizing (Madeira, TCFUA / Australia, Turkey), new kinds of women's unions (Nepal, India, Chile) or of cooperatives, associations or self help groups (Brazil, India) .  All these organizations are fighting together in new ways, including internationally, and challenging traditional concepts of employment and workers’ rights. Here I focus on the experience of Turkish Union of Homebased Workers (Ev-Ek-Sen). Ev-Ek-Sen was launched in the late 2009 by women homebased workers. It fights for recognition as workers and for social protection and decent work.  Its case is a brilliant example of how homebased workers develop their rights based organization i.e. how to organise themselves around the priorities of their own, as well as how Turkish State responses unionization of a group of unprotected workers.