ANKARA (ILO News) - Three Information Centers, locally known as BİLMERs, have been established within Şanlıurfa, Adana and Konya Unions of Chambers of Tradesmen and Craftsmen (ESOB) to support the formalization of Syrian and Turkish micro-enterprises and their employees.

These Centers joined forces with GESOB Information Center in Gaziantep to strengthen the institutional capacities of respective ESOBs and raise employers’ and workers’ awareness on the rules and regulations in the labour market as well as formalization, by providing counselling and referral services. The Information Centers also provide work permit application support as well as referral to training and employment opportunities.

“We are pleased to further advance social justice by promoting formal employment and decent jobs for all. While the GESOB BİLMER is already providing valuable services to Syrian and Turkish employers and workers in Gaziantep, these additional Centers in Şanlıurfa, Adana and Konya will also enable us to jointly with our partners, strengthen the institutional capacity of the unions of chambers of tradesmen and craftsmen in these cities” said Numan Özcan, Director of the ILO Office for Turkey.

Commenting on the importance of the Information Center in Adana, the Chairman of Adana ESOB, Mr. Niyazi Göger said: “Informing micro enterprises and workers in our town on the importance and benefits of formalization, has always been our focus and with this Information Center we will reach even larger numbers by providing technical counselling and financial support services.”

“Access to decent jobs and formalization is very important for the peace and economic development of our province. We will intensify our efforts to reduce the informal employment with this Information Center and provide the necessary technical counselling to micro businesses and workers in transition to formality” said Chairman of Konya ESOB, Mr. Muharrem Karabacak.

“Increasing formalization starts with raising awareness and providing much needed counselling services in our province. We believe that through the Information Center we will increase the formalization numbers by raising awareness among micro businesses and workers on the benefits of decent jobs for all” said Chairman of Şanlıurfa ESOB, Mr. Mehmet Şefik Bakay.

The Information Centers are established as part of the project on “Promoting Decent Jobs for Syrians under Temporary Protection and Turkish Citizens”. The project is implemented by the International Labour Organization (ILO) Office for Turkey, in partnership with the Directorate-General for International Labour Force (DGILF) of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MoLSS) in coordination with the Turkish Confederation of Tradesmen and Craftsmen (TESK) and funded by the Federal Republic of Germany through the KfW Development Bank.

As part of this project, in the coming months additional Information Centers will be opened in İstanbul, Ankara, Hatay, Mersin, Bursa and İzmir.

For more information please contact:

kfwproject@ilo.org