Promotion scandal for earthquake-stricken healthcare workers

Metin Yılmaz, Hatay Provincial Chairman of Birlik Sağlık-Sen, told Sözcü, "Our earthquake-stricken healthcare workers were treated with great injustice by the authorized union and the bank. Not only were none of our healthcare workers aware of the protocol signed between the authorized union Sağlık-Sen and Halkbank, which has a salary agreement, but their rights were also violated."

Yilmaz made the following statement:

On February 6, 2023, in Hatay, which experienced the disaster of the century, our healthcare workers lost hundreds of their colleagues. From the very first moment of the earthquake until today, they have demonstrated great sacrifice and dedicated themselves to the health of the people of Hatay.

Despite all these sacrifices, a protocol signed between the authorized union and the bank extended the promotional agreement for one year, but not a single penny was paid to our fellow healthcare workers. With interest rates soaring after the earthquake, banks demanded the full amount of our healthcare workers' deferred credit card debts in one go, leaving them crushed under exorbitant interest rates that forced them to live in containers, leaving them unable to pay. Among these banks is Halkbank, which has a salary agreement.

"THEY MADE MONEY FROM HEALTH WORKERS' SALARIES"

Not only was none of our healthcare workers aware of the protocol signed between the authorized union, Sağlık-Sen, and Halkbank, which has a salary agreement, but their rights were also violated. For a year, we have received no returns on any of the money earned by healthcare workers, from their salaries and loans to their credit cards and Overdraft Accounts (ODAs).

"NECESSARY LEGAL PROCESS WILL BE INITIATED"

We refuse to accept this injustice against our healthcare workers, who were left alone with the trauma they experienced on February 6th and the grief of their lost loved ones. We will pursue this matter through legal action and our struggle will continue until they receive their just rewards. This behavior by the authorized union, whose primary purpose is to defend the rights of our working brothers and sisters, is completely unacceptable. The union and the bank that caused this injustice will receive the punishment they deserve in the public consciousness.

As Birlik Sağlık Sen, we are determined to stand with earthquake-stricken healthcare workers and continue their pursuit of justice.

The scale of the scandal surrounding the promotions of healthcare workers was staggering.

It was stated that the amount of money that approximately 15 thousand health workers could not receive exceeded 3 - 3.5 billion TL.

Metin Yılmaz stated that the number of earthquake-stricken healthcare workers affected by the promotions has exceeded 15,000, and that the amount of money each worker should have received over the last three years was between 150,000 and 200,000 Turkish Lira. He added, "Approximately 3-3.5 billion Turkish Lira has vanished. We will not let this matter go unpunished on behalf of healthcare workers."

Metin Yılmaz stated that they will initiate the necessary legal proceedings regarding the issue and asked the following in his petition submitted to the Hatay Provincial Health Directorate today:

A protocol covering the years 2019-2024 was signed with Halkbank for the salaries and other payments of personnel working in health facilities affiliated with the Hatay Provincial Health Directorate. This protocol was later revised by extending it for another year with an additional protocol. The Hatay Provincial Representative of Birlik Sağlık Sen requested that the additional protocol signed between the Hatay Provincial Health Directorate and Halkbank be provided to them in accordance with Law No. 4982 on the Right to Information.