TÜRK-İŞ President's statement on additional raises for public workers: We will not let this country become a paradise for cheap labor.

TÜRK-İŞ President Ergün Atalay stated that he will meet with Minister of Labor and Social Security Vedat Işıkhan this afternoon regarding inflation adjustments for public workers whose collective bargaining agreements began after January.

Atalay made the remarks following a meeting of the TÜRK-İŞ Presidential Board, which was held at the Confederation's headquarters with the agenda of additional raises for public workers.

Recalling that they signed the Public Collective Bargaining Agreement Framework Protocol in May, which determined the financial and social rights of more than 700 thousand public workers for the 2023-2024 period, Atalay said that the gains of the agreement, which was the best of the last 30 years, have eroded due to high inflation.

Stating that they have been in negotiations since the beginning of the year to secure an additional raise for public workers, Atalay said:

"The inflation figure was announced at the beginning of January. The inflation rate for the second half of 2023 was 37.57 percent. The contract date for some of our public workers begins as of January. They received a 32.57 percent raise. Those whose contracts begin in March and subsequent months cannot receive this figure. There is a difference of 10 to 14 points in between. These workers rightfully demanded that the inflation rate from January be granted to them as well. Upon this, we convened the TÜRK-İŞ Public Coordination Board. We met seven times during the process. Within 15-20 days, we went to whoever needed to be visited, from the President to the Minister of Labor and Social Security. We sat down with the Minister of Treasury and Finance last week. They said, 'There is no contract, take this money when the time comes.' Upon this, we saw that they were not going to give us anything, so we convened the Public Coordination Board again on Wednesday. The President was consulted on Thursday"

THE MINISTER ALSO ATTENDED THE MEETING

Emphasizing that the TÜRK-İŞ Public Coordination Board last met yesterday evening and that Minister of Labor and Social Security Vedat Işıkhan also attended a part of the meeting, Atalay provided the following information:

"The Minister of Labor explained the point he would reach at the meeting. We raised the issue of hiring subcontracted workers to replace those who retired. Not a single worker has been hired to date. Vice President Mr. Cevdet Yılmaz said at last week's meeting that they had made the decision when he was the Chairman of the Commission in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) and that the decision should be implemented."

Stating that Minister Bilgin used positive expressions regarding public workers whose contracts began after January and subcontracted workers, Atalay said, "We will meet with Minister of Labor and Social Security Vedat Işıkhan this afternoon. The Minister said last night, 'Let's put what we talked about on record. I will write something about the subcontractors, and I will provide the difference for all those whose contracts are after January. I will resolve your grievance.' Some friends are asking, will you get anything extra? No one is saying anything positive about anything extra" he said.

Expressing that elections will be held in 2 months but the agenda of the employees is livelihood, Atalay said, "We will not let this country become a paradise for cheap labor. This country will not be a country of bosses who say 'I will give what I want'" he said.

News Source: AA