First Wage Offer for 600,000 Public Workers: 16% + 8%, Rejected by Unions!

ANKARA – The Turkish Public Employers' Association for Heavy Industry and Service Sector (TÜHİS), representing the employer side in the 2025 Public Collective Labor Agreements Framework Protocol negotiations, has announced its initial wage offer for approximately 600,000 public workers. The offer, disclosed today (June 13, 2025), proposes a 16% increase for the first six months and an 8% increase for the second six months.

Negotiations Continue: Affected Sectors and Worker Demands

The collective bargaining negotiations, which closely concern around 600,000 workers employed in various public institutions such as highways, railways, power plants, ministries, universities, and hospitals, are ongoing. The worker side, represented by the TÜRK-İŞ and HAK-İŞ confederations, submitted their joint wage demands to the Ministry of Labor and Social Security on February 27.

Previous rounds of talks between the worker and employer representatives took place on April 16 and 24, and May 16, but no offer had been presented by TÜHİS in those meetings until today.

Immediate Reaction from Labor Unions: "Impossible to Accept"

TÜHİS's initial wage offer, announced today, was met with disappointment from the labor unions. TÜRK-İŞ Vice President Ramazan Ağar, in his first statement on the matter, said, "The offer presented has deeply disappointed us. It is impossible for us to accept this offer. We are awaiting a second proposal." This statement indicates that the negotiation process is likely to intensify in the coming period.

Minister Işıkhan Had Indicated Post-Eid Proposal

Minister of Labor and Social Security Vedat Işıkhan had previously stated that the initial offer would be presented after Kurban Bayramı (Eid al-Adha). The employer side's decision to announce the offer earlier than the Minister's indicated timeline has drawn attention.

TÜRK-İŞ and HAK-İŞ's Original Demands: 50% Raise and Welfare Share

The joint draft proposal prepared by TÜRK-İŞ and HAK-İŞ included more ambitious demands for public workers. The unions had requested an increase in the minimum daily wage to 1800 TL, followed by a 50% raise for the first six months of 2025, and subsequent 25% raises for the next two periods. Additionally, a 10% welfare share, beyond inflation, was also among the unions' demands.

With the first offer falling short of expectations, the future trajectory of negotiations between public worker unions and the employer side remains a matter of keen interest.

Source/Photo: bigpara.hurriyet.com