Mon - Fri: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM Sat - Sun: Closed

To Be Member of the
Union or Not!

Why Should We Become  Member of the Union?

Because if we become member of the union, we can act together instead of fighting alone the problems we face in our working lives. Campaigning for our social and economic rights as well as our rightful and legitimate demands regarding working life under the auspices of the union will make us stronger. Each actor and actress should be organized in unions that are authorized to regulate work relations, economic social rights and interests.

Why the Actors’ Union?

The Actors’ Union, founded as a result of the need for solutions to basic problems that stage, cinema, tv, and dubbing actors experience in their work environment, is the sole union in the field representing performers.

In all developed countries, actors are considered to be “workers” or “employees.”

Only unions have the right and authority to fight for improving the wages, working conditions and for exercesing the acting business in accordance with modern international standards. The Actors’ Union was established to fulfill these purposes in Turkey and to fill the gap regarding the unionization of actors.

In Turkey, the social security is left to the own care of the performers themselves. This situation forces many actors, who has worked or is currently working in the sector, to remain outside the social security system and/or to work off the record.

The fact that actors are forced to work as bogus self-employed engenders a sector where employers do not have the obligation to take responsibility for problems and issues related to work life, notably concerning occupational health and safety. As a result, the actors are left to deal with work-related problems on their own.

As Actors’ Union, we strongly emphasize the necessity for actors to work as employees. We argue that in order for the sector to reach international standards, labor relations must first be set to a standard level.

Since unions are the only authorized bodies for the protection and regulation of social rights and freedoms as well as economic rights and demands in labor relations, we believe that actors should be organized in the Actors’ Union, which is the core organization to protect and advance their rights in the short, medium and long terms.

What Do We Do?

We conceive the union as a means of getting and developing rights. In this respect, the Actors’ Union builds its strategies of struggle for the rightful and legitimate demands of its members.

We are convinced that although unionizing of actors rather than fighting individually may seem to bring individual improvements in the short term, it is however the only way in long term to secure the future of the acting profession and social security of our fellow actors.