The process in the 2023 Public Collective Bargaining Agreement Framework Protocol negotiations, which concerns more than 700 thousand workers working in public institutions and organizations, including highways, railways, special provincial administrations, sugar factories, power generation plants, ministries of National Education and National Defense, hospitals and universities. continues.
A certain stage has been reached in the meetings, in which TÜRK-İŞ and HAK-İŞ represent the working class, and the Turkish Heavy Industry and Service Sector Public Employers’ Union (TÜHİS) represents the public employer. Negotiations intensified with the public employer’s initial proposal to raise the base wage to 11,500 liras and a 30 percent increase in the first six months of 2023, to increase the base wage to 12 thousand liras and a 40 percent increase in the first six months.
While the workers’ side continued to insist on increasing the monthly gross base wage to 15 thousand liras, then adding 15 percent welfare share to all wages, and then increasing 45 percent for the first six months, they began to wait for the new proposal from the government.
In this context, while it is learned that the government continues its preparations for a new proposal, it is expected that the talks will move during the week and the contract will be signed before the 1 May Labor and Solidarity Day.
“As the working class, we found the offer insufficient”
TÜRK-İŞ Chairman Ergün Atalay stated that the Minister of Labor and Social Security, Vedat Bilgin, stepped in after TÜHİS’ proposal to increase the base wage to 11,500 liras and a 30 percent increase for the first six months, said:
“Mr. Minister, before the holiday, met with the delegations of TÜRK-İŞ and HAK-İŞ and informed us that the new proposal of the government is to increase the base wage by 12 thousand liras and to make a 40 percent increase for the first six months. We, as the workers, found this proposal insufficient. At this point, we ask the government to make a new offer that will meet the conditions of the day, the purchasing power of the workers and our demands.”
Closely related to other contracts
On the other hand, the 7th Term Collective Bargaining negotiations, covering the years 2024-2025, in which the rate of increase in the salaries of approximately 3.5 million civil servants and 2.5 million retired civil servants will be determined, will begin as of August 1.
In this respect, the 2023 Public Collective Bargaining Agreement Framework Protocol, which concerns public workers, is also important in terms of determining the frameworks of collective bargaining agreements to be signed in the private sector, especially the collective agreement of civil servants.
