Regulation for the Auxiliary Services Class: Proposal affecting thousands of public personnel is in Parliament

A legislative proposal envisioning a change in the status of personnel serving in the Auxiliary Services Class within public institutions and organizations has been submitted to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey.

The proposal, submitted to the Speaker of the Parliament by the YENİ Party on September 28, was referred to the Planning and Budget Committee on October 1. If the regulation is enacted, the Auxiliary Services Class, which is included in the Civil Servants Law No. 657, will be abolished; personnel working in this class will be transferred to the General Administrative Services Class while retaining their current grades.

The proposal concerns public personnel working in titles such as technician assistant, attendant, cook, boiler operator, distributor, tailor, barber, waiter, gardener, and printer. However, since the proposal has not yet been enacted, there is no change in the current status of the personnel in question at this stage.

EMPHASIS ON LOSS OF RIGHTS IN THE JUSTIFICATION

In the justification for the proposal, it was stated that the job descriptions of the Auxiliary Services Class personnel are not sufficiently clear and that this leads to grievances in practice. It was argued that the need for the current service class has decreased, pointing out that a significant portion of services such as cleaning and technical support in public institutions are met through tenders.

The justification also stated that the fact that no additional indicator has been determined for personnel in this class has negative consequences on salaries, pensions, and retirement bonuses. It was also claimed that limited opportunities for promotion create inequality among public employees.

In the text of the proposal, the regulation regarding the change of the service class of bailiffs was also cited as an example. It was recalled that with the decision of AKP Chairman and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan dated February 5, 2019, bailiffs were transitioned to the General Administrative Services Class, and the decision was published in the Official Gazette dated February 6, 2019.

In the justification, it was argued that this right granted to bailiffs should also be applied to other Auxiliary Services Class personnel working in the public sector. Citing Article 49 of the Constitution, which regulates the right to work, it was stated that labor peace and equality must be ensured among public employees.

For the regulation to enter into force, the parliamentary process, which includes the committee and General Assembly stages, must be completed.