Ali Yalçın: Our Response to Global Uncertainty Is Solidarity

Ali Yalçın, President of the ILC and President of Memur-Sen and Eğitim-Bir-Sen, emphasized that education and labour are of strategic importance for the common future of humanity in the face of global crises.

Stating that the world is simultaneously confronted with economic fragilities, wars, mass migration, the climate crisis, the transformation brought about by artificial intelligence, and declining trust in international institutions, Yalçın described the present period as an “Age of Uncertainty.” He underlined that, in this new era, education and labour policies must be reconsidered through a human-centred, justice-oriented, and solidarity-based approach.

Ali Yalçın conveyed his strongest message to the international trade union movement with the following words:

“The only way to turn uncertainty into trust is global solidarity.”

Yalçın stressed that trade unions are not merely organizations that defend occupational and professional rights, but also global representatives of justice, human dignity, and social conscience. He stated that education systems cannot be left to market-oriented approaches, emphasizing that education must serve not global capital, but the common conscience of humanity.

Yalçın: “The Threat We Face Is ‘Lost Generations’”

Yalçın underlined that wars, migration, digital transformation, poverty, women’s labour, inclusive and accessible education, and decent and secure employment are urgent areas of global responsibility for education unions.

Stating that children pay the heaviest price for wars, internal conflicts, and migration crises, Yalçın noted that every child deprived of the right to education represents a broken link in the future of humanity.

He delivered his strongest message on this issue with the following words:

“The threat we face is ‘Lost Generations.’”

Yalçın warned that generations growing up without education, without security, and under the burden of trauma may become open targets for radicalism, criminal networks, and systems of exploitation in the future. He emphasized that ensuring access to education for children affected by war, adapting curricula to post-trauma needs, and securing employment rights for refugee teachers must be among the priority agendas of the international trade union movement.

Stating that the Istanbul EdUnion Forum has created a lasting platform for international cooperation and solidarity among education unions worldwide, Yalçın underlined that the strongest response to global crises is greater solidarity, stronger organization, and human-centred policies.

 Hamza Öksüz: Trade Unions Must Lead the Way in the Face of Digital Transformation

ILC Secretary-General Hamza Öksüz, in his address at the Istanbul EdUnion Forum, referred to the founding process of the ILC, its vision for strengthening international trade union solidarity, and its 2026 activity plan. Öksüz stated that the ILC aims to be a confederation that not only responds to current problems, but also produces solutions and provides guidance for the future of work.

Emphasizing that digitalization, artificial intelligence, and transformations in working life create new responsibilities for the trade union movement, Öksüz underlined that trade unions must not only criticize these processes, but also develop policies, guide workers, and build new areas of rights.

Öksüz stated that the ILC will continue to struggle both to protect job security in transforming occupations and to safeguard the rights of workers in newly emerging fields of employment. In this framework, he noted that the ILC will pursue its efforts to protect labour during the process of digital transformation, regulate new forms of work in line with decent standards based on human dignity, and enable trade unions to guide the labour of the future.

Drawing attention to recent historic developments in international labour law, Öksüz stated that the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice on 21 May 2026 concerning the right to strike within the scope of ILO Convention No. 87 on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise is of great importance for trade union freedoms.

Öksüz also emphasized that the “Decent Work in the Platform Economy Convention, 2026,” adopted at the 114th International Labour Conference of the ILO, represents a critical step for the protection of labour rights in the digital age. He stated that securing the rights of platform workers through international standards is a strategic development for the future of work.

Hamza Öksüz concluded by stating that, in this new era, the ILC will continue to be the common voice of the global labour movement. He emphasized the need to develop stronger international solidarity, more effective organization, and human-centred policies in response to digitalization and new forms of work.