Public Workers Stand Against Poverty Offer: Petrol-İş Joins Mass March and Strong Protest in Ankara

ANKARA – Negotiations for the Public Collective Bargaining Agreement Framework Protocol, concerning nearly 600,000 public workers, have reached a crisis point due to the government's low wage increase offer. As part of a series of actions actively joined by Petrol-İş Union, union executives and members affiliated with Türk-İş today (June 18, 2025) organized a mass march from Ankara's Anıtpark to the Ministry of Treasury and Finance, vehemently stating that the proposed offer is unacceptable.

Deadlock in Negotiations

The public collective bargaining process began on February 27, 2025, when union confederations submitted their demands to the Ministry of Labour and Social Security. However, after months of silence, the government, through TÜHİS, presented its own offer to the confederations on June 13. As emphasized in Petrol-İş Union's statement last week, this wage increase offer, based on the inflation rate announced by TÜİK (Turkish Statistical Institute) and not reflecting living conditions, was deemed "unnegotiable" by the unions, stating it lacked any justified explanation.

Türk-İş Action Decision and Meeting with Minister Işıkhan

Following the unacceptable offer, the Türk-İş Confederation decided on a series of actions. In this context, on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, members of the Public Coordination Board met with T.C. Minister of Labour and Social Security Prof. Dr. Vedat Işıkhan, clearly stating that the given offer was neither acceptable nor negotiable and demanding a new, improved proposal.

Mass March Supported by Petrol-İş

Today, Wednesday, June 18, 2025, union leaders and members from various union management levels affiliated with Türk-İş gathered at Ankara's Anıttepe Anıtpark at 11:00 AM. Petrol-İş Union General President Süleyman Akyüz, General Secretary Ahmet Baranlı, along with the Presidents and Vice Presidents of Adana, Ankara, Batman, Bursa, Bandırma, Kırıkkale Branches, and representatives and members from public workplaces organized under the Ankara Branch, also participated in this significant demonstration.

Petrol-İş executives and members, who gathered in front of their Ankara Branch office, marched with slogans to Anıtpark. After meeting with other Türk-İş affiliated unions at Anıtpark, the workers collectively marched towards the Ministry of Treasury and Finance.

Strong Messages from Ergün Atalay to the Government

During the press statement held in front of the Ministry, Türk-İş General President Ergün Atalay voiced his outrage at the situation of public workers. Atalay stated, "Our agenda is the Public Framework Protocol. We are both negotiating and struggling here at the table. Dear friends, public workers earn just a bit above the minimum wage. We state this everywhere, every day. The average wage has become 35,000 Turkish Liras. You build submarines, you build planes, you are in communications, you are in energy. You are everywhere in the country, and the salary is 35,000 Liras. It's shameful, it's a sin, it's a pity. Last Friday, TÜHİS officials called. They said we would give 16, then 8. Yesterday, we went to the Ministry of Labour. The offer you gave is unacceptable."

The press statement concluded with loud slogans and applause, as public workers once again vociferously demanded a liveable wage and a fair collective bargaining agreement. Unions signaled that they would continue their struggle until their demands are met.