What do interns and apprentices want?

It is stated that their numbers exceed 400 thousand. They studied in vocational high schools, technical high schools, and apprenticeship schools, and they completed internships. In their final year of school, they went to workplaces and worked three days a week. They received a salary at one-third of the minimum wage from the Social Security Institution (SGK). They had accidents. They were injured, became disabled, and sometimes even lost their lives in accidents. And they continue to do so...

We are talking about the victims of internship and apprenticeship policies. When internship start dates are entered into e-Devlet, they appear as an SGK registration. However, these SGK entries are not counted as the start of insurance. They worked, they were insured. But today, it is stated that this insurance was only provided so that they could benefit from health services.

They have been trying to make their voices heard for years. Following the struggle and subsequent success of those affected by the retirement age regulations (EYT) in obtaining their rights, demands for 'Justice in Retirement' have also begun to rise. The age requirement was removed for those who started working with insurance before September 8, 1999. However, those who have an SGK start date after this date must wait until age 58 for women and 60 for men, even if they complete their premium days. In other words, another injustice continues now...

Those demanding phased retirement have established EMADDER (Association for Justice in Retirement) and are trying to make their voices heard through rallies, press releases, and social media campaigns.

Those who want their internship and apprenticeship start dates to be counted as the start of their SGK insurance are gathering under the umbrella of the Associations and Federation of Internship and Apprenticeship Insurance Victims. They are conducting social media campaigns, press releases, leaflet distributions, and rallies under the name EST (Those Stuck in Internship for Retirement). They visit members of parliament and party leaders, and go to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM). They attend the meetings, events, and openings of politicians. They present the files they have prepared and wait for a solution.

"IF THEY HAVE COMPLETED AN INTERNSHIP IN EUROPE, THEY CAN RETIRE IN MY COUNTRY"

Semiha Özek, President of the İzmir Internship and Apprenticeship Insurance Victims Association, and Ender Keskin, Founding Member of the Internship and Apprenticeship Insurance Victims Federation, who were guests on our program 'Alternatif' on Yön Radyo, explained their struggle at length. They stated that they are preparing for a large rally at Kartal Square on Sunday, February 18, at 12:00.

Özek, who says she is a 1992 internship victim, states that they started working in the most difficult jobs at a young age and were given insurance cards. “At that time, we were happy when we were told by the SGK, 'You are now insured. You will retire in 20 years. You are very lucky, your insurance started at an early age.' That is what we knew. But how could we have known that this would be of no use? We learned the painful truth later. If I had known it was like this, wouldn't I have worked in an insured job somewhere for even one day?” she says, describing their grievances.

Stating that they want the reward for their labor, Özek and Keskin continue: “There is no such distinction as 'short-term' or 'long-term' insurance anywhere else in the world. This is something unique to our country. It hurts us deeply. There is work. You go to work. You receive a salary at one-third of the minimum wage, you have a payroll. The result?”

They point to the injustice by saying, 'A person who does an internship at a company's factory in Europe can retire in my country,' and add, 'A person who does an internship at the same company's factory in Germany can retire in Turkey, but a person who does an internship at the same company's factory here cannot!'

ON FEBRUARY 18 IN KARTAL

Internship and apprenticeship victims say they cannot be given back their lost years, but at least their rights should be granted. They want the first date of entry into work seen on e-Devlet to be accepted as the start of their SGK insurance. They say, if necessary, let the state charge us for the premiums, let us pay them, and let us receive our retirement rights.

İzmir Internship and Apprenticeship Insurance Victims Association President Semiha Özek and Internship and Apprenticeship Insurance Victims Federation Founding Member Ender Keskin also make a call to all vocational high school students: “We have a rally in Kartal on Sunday, February 18. We are waiting for vocational high school students, those who attended apprenticeship schools, interns, internship victims, and their families. It is not just us, but our families who are also victims. Let us get our rights together. Let us join hands. Support us.”

It is now the workers' turn to heed this call. It is said that 'rights are not given, they are taken.' I believe that the internship and apprenticeship victims will win their struggle for rights, and I wish them ease and success.