ETUC General Secretary Esther Lynch's video to the KESK's 30th anniversary

Dear Co-Presidents, Dear Friends,

On behalf of the ETUC, thank you sincerely for inviting me to celebrate your truly remarkable milestone. 

KESK 30 years old! 30 years of perseverance. 30 years of courage. 30 years of unwavering dedication to workers’ rights. 

Your chosen theme from the past to the future, struggle together for labour, democracy, peace, secularism, and a free life could not be more fitting. It captures of both the history of KESK and the hope you bring to the future for Türkiye. 

Anniversaries allow us to reflect where we came from where we are going. KESK was created even before Türkiye had a labour law for public service workers. That bold beginning laid foundation for three decades of your principled struggle and service to workers in the public sector. And you have every reason to take pride in the representation you have given since 1995. 

But we know trade unionism is never a quiet river. Across the world public services are coming under strain through austerity, through privatization, through under investment. And we have seen this in many European countries how years of cuts have weakened the infrastructure increased the security and reduced the quality of essential public services and deepened poverty. These were not accidents; they were political choices. 

That’s why KESK’s anniversary theme matches so much. Because defending labour, defending democracy, defending peace, defending secularism, and defending a free life requires defending strong public services and strong trade unions. 

Public services are the backbone of a democratic and fair society. They guarantee essential rights like health, education, housing, transport, participation in public life. Investing in these services and valuing those who deliver them is not only a good policy but also it is a commitment to human dignity. 

But we know in Türkiye those who stand up for these values often face harassment, threats, dismissals even arrest and imprisonment. This is not acceptable in any democracy. The ETUC condemned the attempted coup of 2016, and we also expressed deep concern over the widespread dismissals followed. Nearly a decade later thousands of workers including more than 1700 KESK members are still not reinstated. Justice must be restored. 

As the Government prepares for next year’s budget, we repeat our message that echoes through all of our affiliates across Europe: Public services are not a burden, they are a right. The idea that there is no money disguises the real truth. Because this is a conversation fair taxation, solidarity and to ensure that the resources that are needed are put in place.

I want to recognize to KESK’s vital work in defending women’s rights. Your efforts to urge Türkiye to return to the İstanbul Convention are essential at the time of violence against women is rising sharply. Withdrawing from this protective framework sent a deeply troubling message. KESK sisters your voice was critical and it must be listened to. 

Dear co-presidents,

KESK has been part of the ETUC family for many years. I am grateful and proud to have you as a member of the ETUC. Your contributions strengthen the entire European labour movement. Your resilience embodies exactly what the anniversary theme proclaims. A struggle carried from the past by all of us now into the future to be fought together, to be fought as trade unionists for labour, for democracy, for peace, for secularism, for a free life.

On behalf of the ETUC and its 45 million members in 41 countries from all of our European foundations, I wish you a heartfelt happy 30^th anniversary and may the next decade bring strength, and solidarity, and justice for all workers in Türkiye. 

Sisters, brothers, solidarity.

Enjoy the celebration!

Esther Lynch

General Secretary

ETUC

You can watch the video here.