The process of public workers' collective bargaining agreement negotiations, which started with the visit of the delegations of the Confederation of Turkish Trade Unions (Türk-İş) and the Confederation of Turkish Rights Trade Unions (Hak-İş) to the Minister of Labor and Social Security Vedat Bilgin on January 20, 2023, ended with a consensus. At the signing ceremony held with the participation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Erdoğan announced that a 45 percent increase was made in wages, including welfare share, within the framework of the collective bargaining agreement, and that the minimum wage for public workers was 15 thousand TL.
The demands of the confederations regarding the 2023 Public Collective Bargaining Agreement Framework Protocol were evaluated by the Turkish Heavy Industry and Service Sector Public Employers' Union (TÜHİS), which represents the government and public employers. Negotiations were held between the government, TÜHİS and labor union confederations on the proposals prepared by considering these demands. Upon the agreement of the parties on the financial and social rights of workers in public institutions and organizations, the Framework Protocol of 2023 Public Collective Bargaining Agreements was signed with a ceremony.
Emphasizing that with the signed protocol, they determined the framework of the wages that approximately 700 thousand public workers will receive in the 2023-2024 period, and said, “Our framework agreement protocol is public administrations and affiliated revolving funds, funds and surety funds, institutions established by special law, organizations that provide services by receiving assistance from the general budget. , state-owned enterprises and their subsidiaries, public institutions with more than half of the capital, special provincial administrations, municipalities, and our workers who work hard in their subsidiaries and enterprises. On behalf of myself and my nation, I would like to thank our miners, landlords, railroaders, electricians, natural gas dealers, shipyard workers, foresters, medical rescuers, employees of the special provincial administration, who worked hard to rescue them during the 6 February earthquakes. Our nation and our state have never forgotten their efforts. He will not forget.”
“We Are Raising 45 Percent”
Stating that the protocol to be signed will determine the base wages, wage increases, social benefits, fixed payments, other personal and fringe benefits of public workers, Erdoğan continued as follows:
“With this very detailed collective bargaining agreement framework, we are making a 45 percent increase in wages, including the welfare share. Thus, we increase the minimum wage of public workers to 15 thousand liras. In addition, with this contract, we are introducing the application of 4 percent to 6 percent premium payment to our workers who do not have a job bonus payment. In addition, we add 10% to the bare wages of our workers who are veterans, victims of terrorism and relatives of martyrs. On the other hand, we are going to increase the overtime wages by 70 percent. We foresee that the wages of night workers will be paid with an increase of 8 percent. We update the figures of clothing and food aids and increase them at the rate of wage hike. We are also making increases in titles such as additional payment, social assistance payment, service increase, and the number of days of non-payment bonus. I especially wish that the collective agreement will be beneficial to our workers and institutions.”
“We Have Taken Important Steps to Consolidate the Foundations of the Democratic System”
Minister Bilgin, on the other hand, emphasized that important steps have been taken to strengthen the social foundations of the democratic system in Turkey regarding regulations from pensions to civil servants' salaries, and said, "Today, we have reached a certain stage in the collective bargaining negotiations that we have been holding for more than 700 thousand public workers. We presented these stages to our President. President of the Republic, they will announce an application evaluating the effectiveness of the Presidential System as a decision today.
“The Collective Bargaining Process for Public Employees Has Followed a Positive Progress”
Hak-İş Chairman Mahmut Arslan also stated that the collective bargaining agreement processes of around 700 thousand public workers followed a positive course in terms of the Turkish trade union movement, and said, “We thank our President, Minister, TÜHİS, Türk-İş and Hak-İş for their contributions to the collective bargaining agreement process. -Thank you to the business delegations. At this point, our President has once again shown his determination to solve the problems of the employees in Turkey for the labor movement. I hope that the figures we will obtain and the picture that will emerge at the point we have reached with the collective bargaining agreement will be beneficial for our country, our employees and our 700 thousand public workers.
“Let's Unite in Prosperity”
Türk-İş Chairman Ergün Atalay, on the other hand, regarding the public worker collective agreement negotiations, which will affect nearly 700 thousand workers and their families, as well as 3 million people, said, “Due to the earthquake, we paused the negotiations for about a month and a half. In the wage figure, we wanted 15 thousand liras for low wages, and 45 percent plus 15 welfare share for the upper part. We have come to a certain point. Let's unite in prosperity, there is no point in talking down. I started life as a worker. Whatever issue I said about the workers, you looked positively, you looked at the interests of the worker and the country. Thank you to everyone who contributed,” he said.