HAK-İŞ President Mahmut Arslan Proposes Radical Solutions at Labor Law Symposium: "Minimum Wage by Labor-Employer, Abolish Mediation!"

Ankara - Mahmut Arslan, General President of HAK-İŞ Confederation, attended the "Labor Law Evaluation Symposium 2025," organized in cooperation with the Turkish Confederation of Employer Associations (TİSK) and the Türkiye Justice Academy on May 23, 2025. During the symposium, Arslan made striking remarks on fundamental issues facing the labor world, from the minimum wage determination mechanism to the mediation system and the importance of unionization to the declining share of national income, and made important calls to the government.

The symposium, bringing together prominent figures from the business world, academia, and the judiciary, discussed current issues in labor law. In addition to HAK-İŞ General President Mahmut Arslan, union executives including Vice President Mehmet Ali Kayabaşı, Assistant General Secretary Hamdi Abdullah Koçoğlu, Hizmet-İş Union General Secretary Oğuz Aksoy, and Hizmet-İş Union Head of Legal Affairs Kürşat Kaya were also present. The meeting was also attended by worker and employer representatives, judges, academics, experts, and legal advisors.

Minimum Wage Commission Structure Must Change: "It Will Cause a Crisis"

One of the focal points of General President Mahmut Arslan's speech was the current structure of the minimum wage determination commission. Recalling the deadlock during the 2024 minimum wage negotiations, Arslan stated, "When the 2024 minimum wage was being determined, the largest confederation withdrew. The Minimum Wage Determination Commission will no longer be able to convene without changing its structure."

Arslan made an urgent call to the government, saying, "This will cause a crisis. Let the Confederations, both the labor and employer sides, determine the minimum wage. Let's tell the government that if there's a problem between us, we'll call you. Otherwise, what if we resolve it among ourselves? Because the public sector does not have minimum wage employees. Therefore, I think we need new steps and new moves of this kind," advocating for a redefinition of the state's role in determining the minimum wage.

Abolition of the Mediation System Demanded: "It Multiplies Suffering"

Arslan also addressed the problems workers face concerning insurance, taxes, income inequality, severance pay, and occupational accidents, sharply criticizing the current mediation system. Stating that "the mediation system multiplies suffering and further burns people's hearts," Arslan expressed that this system "must be freed from its mandatory nature and completely abolished."

Unionization: A Comprehensive Solution from the Informal Economy to Occupational Accidents

In his speech, Arslan extensively emphasized the importance of unionization, highlighting that it is a multi-dimensional tool that affects not only workers' rights but also the general welfare of the country. He summarized the benefits of unionization under four main headings:

1. Combating the Informal Economy: Unionization is an important tool in the fight against the informal economy.
2. Occupational Health and Safety: In workplaces with union organization, occupational accident fatality rates and accident numbers decrease to a minimum, with figures dropping below one percent.
3. Addressing Income Inequality: The collective bargaining system makes a significant contribution to eliminating income inequality.
4. Preventing Unfair Competition: Since there is no unregistered work in organized businesses, protecting the unregistered sector would be unfair to registered businesses. Unionization prevents this.

Arslan stated, "Union organization does not only provide power to unions, it does not only provide members. It also contributes to the social peace of the country, the creation of economic balances, and truly ensures greater opportunities and greater contributions from the gross national product. Therefore, we believe that union organization is very valuable for Türkiye's social peace."

"Why Are We Receiving a Smaller Share of National Income While Macro Balances Improve?"

Expressing his confidence in the country's potential, strength, entrepreneurial spirit, production, and exports, Arslan noted that employment is increasing in Türkiye, unemployment is at its lowest point, and production and exports are rising, with all macroeconomic balances looking favorable. However, he made a critical point regarding how this picture reflects on workers: "All macroeconomic balances are pleasing. But when it comes to us, our share of national income has been declining in the last five years. If everything is going well in Türkiye, why are we losing? There is a sharing problem here. I believe that all of us have great responsibilities in this sharing problem," drawing attention to income inequality and calling on all stakeholders to take responsibility.