New consecutive decisions from Parliament affecting millions...

Regulations affecting the income of millions have passed through Parliament one after another. The lowest pension has been set at 12,500 TL. Premium support for working retirees has ended. A last-minute development has also occurred for public officials. According to the decision, all public officials who are union members will benefit from a bonus, which currently amounts to 641.81 TL. The payment will be made every month.

With the law passed in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey last night, the lowest pension was increased from 10,000 TL to 12,500 TL. After the 24.73 percent raise implemented in July, retirees whose base pension, including additional payments, remains below 12,500 TL will be paid 12,500 TL. The differences for the month of July will also be deposited into their accounts.

The 5-point reduction in employer premiums provided for those who continue to work at the same workplace after retirement will be discontinued. The short-term insurance branch premium, which is deducted from the employer at a rate of 2 percent of the workers' gross wages, will be increased to 2.25 percent. Changes regarding premiums will take effect from the beginning of the month following the publication of the law in the Official Gazette. If the law is published by July 31, it will be effective from August. If the publication of the law in the Official Gazette is delayed until August, the premium changes will be applied effective from September.

EQUALITY IN COLLECTIVE BARGAINING BONUSES

Critical last-minute changes were made during the parliamentary deliberations of the bill at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM). Public officials will be paid a monthly collective bargaining bonus equivalent to 707 indicator figures. All public officials who are union members will benefit from the bonus, which currently amounts to 641.81 TL.

After the Council of State annulled the collective bargaining provision that limited eligibility for the collective bargaining bonus granted to public officials to unions exceeding a 1 percent threshold in their service branch, a law was enacted that raised the threshold requirement to 2 percent. However, the Constitutional Court, in a ruling issued in January, found the regulation to be unconstitutional and annulled it.

During the deliberations of the legislative proposal in the Planning and Budget Committee, a provision was added regarding the payment of collective bargaining bonuses to civil servants who are members of unions that exceed the 1 percent threshold. Following objections from the opposition, an amendment was made in the General Assembly. Accordingly, all civil servants who are union members will benefit from the bonus equivalent to the 707 coefficient determined by the currently effective collective bargaining agreement. Only civil servants who are not union members will be ineligible for the bonus.

Starting from the date following the publication of the law in the Official Gazette, a monthly payment of 641.81 TL will be made to all civil servants who are union members for the year 2024.

SALARY INCREASE ADJUSTMENT FOR THE HIGHER JUDICIARY

According to a report in Habertürk, the salary increase for high judicial bodies, which was cited as one of the reasons for the tension between the Court of Cassation and the Constitutional Court last year, has been reorganized. The Constitutional Court (AYM) had annulled the provision of the law that caused a discrepancy between the additional compensation for judges and prosecutors serving in high judicial bodies and other judges and prosecutors. The deadline granted for the new legal regulation will come into effect on Tuesday, July 30, 2024.

In accordance with the motion accepted during last night's deliberations on the law, the additional compensation for the First President of the Court of Cassation, the President of the Council of State, the Chief Public Prosecutor of the Court of Cassation, the Chief Prosecutor of the Council of State, the First Deputy Presidents of the Court of Cassation, the Deputy Presidents of the Council of State, the Deputy Chief Public Prosecutor of the Court of Cassation, the heads of chambers of the Court of Cassation and the Council of State, as well as the members of the Court of Cassation and the Council of State, will be 40,000 index points, as it was in the regulation that was annulled.

While the index for the judges and prosecutors in question was previously increased from 15,000 to 40,000, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Justice, who had been excluded from the scope, has now been included in the 40,000 index bracket. These individuals will be paid an additional monthly compensation of 36,311.84 TL based on the new salary coefficient.

Other judges and prosecutors who were excluded during the regulation annulled by the Constitutional Court (AYM) will also benefit from the gradual compensation increase. The additional compensation index for first-class judges and prosecutors, whose benchmark salary is 86 percent, has been increased from 15,000 to 20,000, while the additional compensation index for inspectors actively serving in the Ministry of Justice Inspection Board and the Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK) Inspection Board has been raised from 30,000 to 35,000. Judges and prosecutors in this group will receive a monthly additional compensation of 31,772.86 TL. Previously, the additional compensation for these judges and prosecutors was 13,616.94 TL and 27,233.88 TL, respectively.

The index for other first-class judges and prosecutors has been increased to 30,000 (27,233.88 TL), the index for judges and prosecutors who have been promoted to the first class to 26,000 (23,602.70 TL), and the index for other judges and prosecutors to 22,500 (20,425 TL).

Of the judges and prosecutors within this scope, only one of the monthly additional allowances paid to those serving at the Constitutional Court and the allowance given to those serving at the Court of Jurisdictional Disputes, or the higher of these and the aforementioned additional compensation, will be paid.