Memur-Sen and government in critical meeting: Strike on the horizon if no agreement reached

No consensus has yet been reached in the collective bargaining negotiations for the 2026-2027 period, which concern public employees. The parties will meet once again today at the Ministry of Labor in a process covering 4 million civil servants and 2.5 million civil servant retirees across Turkey.

In the initial proposal presented by the government on August 12, a 10 percent raise was proposed for the first six months of 2026 and 6 percent for the second six months; for 2027, a 6 percent raise was proposed for the first six months and 4 percent for the second half. However, this proposal was not found sufficient by the unions. In the second proposal made the day before yesterday, it was suggested that 1,000 TL be added to base salaries.

Memur-Sen Chairman Ali Yalçın reacted sharply to the new proposal, stating, “They only offered a 1,000 TL improvement to the base salary. It is unacceptable. This is signaling to us, to the unions, to take to the field.” In a statement made at the protest tent in Ankara, Yalçın emphasized that their expectations were not met:

“They say they will make a 1,000 lira increase to the base salary. What are we going to discuss at the table with this, which of our problems will this solve?”

Civil servants have already begun preparations for a possible deadlock. While protest tents have been set up in 81 provinces under the name “Civil Servant/Retiree on Watch,” the option of a strike is also on the agenda.

On the other hand, Minister of Labor and Social Security Vedat Işıkhan, in his last meeting with the unions, stated that the demands were being evaluated and used the expression, “We will continue our negotiations on a ground of consensus in the coming days.” Ali Yalçın, however, expressed that the suppression of employees' salaries under the pretext of fiscal discipline must come to an end.

According to the pro-government Türkiye Gazetesi, the parties will sit at the table again today at the Ministry of Labor. However, if an agreement cannot be reached, civil servants will raise their voices with a strike action.

News Source: 12punto