Signature? Strike? The worker has the final say.
In the public sector Collective bargaining negotiations for 600,000 workers continue under the shadow of strikes, late raise offers, and strike postponement decisions. Ergün Atalay, Chairman of the Confederation of Turkish Trade Unions (Türk-İş), announced the government's latest raise proposal for public workers. Atalay announced that the wages of all employees whose gross daily wage is below 1,400 TL should be increased to 1,400 TL, an average flat raise of 40 TL for wages above 1,400 TL, a 24 percent raise for the first six months, an 11 percent raise following the 50 TL flat raise for the second six months, a 10 percent raise for the third six months, and a 6 percent raise for the fourth six months. According to the latest proposal, the cumulative raise to be made to workers' salaries is calculated as 32 percent for the first six months of this year and 50.7 percent on an annual basis for the entirety of 2025.
'THIS IS THE SYSTEM HERE'
Following the proposal, Atalay made a statement: “It's not 100% positive, but it seems close to positive. Ultimately, the decision-makers are our colleagues, the unions. If they say, 'There's no problem,' we'll tell the Ministry, 'Okay.' If there's a problem, we'll say, 'We're not doing it.' This is the final offer.” Regarding the postponement of the Eti Maden strike, Atalay said, “There's also a Constitutional Court ruling, saying, 'You can't do it,' but unfortunately, the strike has been postponed. That's the system in place in this country.”
Mahmut Arslan, President of the Confederation of Hak-İş Trade Unions (Hak-İş), also stated that the proposal was more positive than the previous one. "Anything our unions don't accept is unacceptable to Hak-İş," Arslan said, adding, "Starting next week, we will now reach the stage of making strike decisions."
In a joint draft proposal submitted to the Ministry of Labor and Social Security on February 27, workers demanded a wage increase of approximately 90 percent. They had requested an increase in the minimum daily wage to 1,800 TL for the first six months of 2025 and a 50 percent raise. Since January, wages for workers working without a contract have eroded significantly due to rising inflation. According to official data, workers have lost an average of 6,600 TL in wages to date.
Details of the latest raise offerIf the CPI for the six months (July-December period) to be announced on January 3, 2026, exceeds 11 percent, the entire excess will be paid as the inflation difference. A proportional increase of 10 percent will be made in the first six months of 2026, and 6 percent in the second six months. If the CPI increase exceeds the raise rates during these periods, the entire excess will be paid as the difference. In addition, qualified workers will receive an additional premium increase of 7 percent and other workers of 3 percent, depending on their work difficulty. Those whose contracts began in January, February, and March will receive increases of up to 3.68 percent for any differences arising from their contracts.
Cautious approach to strike decisionIf public workers reject the government's latest offer, their first strike will be held today in Zonguldak. General Mine Workers' Union President Hakan Yeşil, commenting on feedback from the field, said, "The number of those who support the signing of the contract is currently higher, saying, 'A strike will wear us out and won't contribute economically.'"
SÖZCÜ
