EYT, minimum wage, Collective Labor Agreement… 2023 has been the year of contracts in working life

According to January 2023 statistics, in working life in Turkey, where 2 million 330 thousand 98 out of 16 million 163 thousand 54 workers, corresponding to 14.42 percent, are unionized, the new minimum wage in 2023 will be 10 thousand 8 liras gross and 8 liras net as of January 1. It started with the application as 1,506 lira and 80 kuruş.

The regulation regarding EYT, which most of the society was eagerly awaiting, came to the agenda of the Parliament in February. Those who got a job before September 9, 1999 benefited from the legal regulation adopted in the General Assembly of the Turkish Grand National Assembly on February 28, and those who met the conditions of premium date and insurance period other than age started to receive a pension. Approximately 2 million people who benefited from the regulation retired.

FESTIVAL BONUSES INCREASED TO 2 THOUSAND LIRA

In 2023, when the minimum pension was increased from 5 thousand 500 lira to 7 thousand 500 lira on March 30, retirees’ holiday bonuses were increased to 2 thousand lira. The working hours of temporary public sector employees were extended to 11 months and 29 days within the same visa period.

Confederations of workers and civil servants organized a program on the occasion of May 1 Labor and Solidarity Day. TÜRK-İŞ organized a program in Adana, HAK-İŞ in Kahramanmaraş, and DİSK in Istanbul. On the same day, Ali Yalçın was re-elected as the chairman of Memur-Sen, which held its 7th General Assembly.

PUBLIC WORKERS GIVEN A 45 PERCENT RAISE

The 2023 Public Collective Labor Agreements Framework Protocol, which concerns 700 thousand workers in the public sector, was signed at a ceremony held at the Presidential Complex on May 9.

With the contract that concerns approximately 700 thousand workers in the public sector, the lowest public worker wage was increased to 15 thousand liras. Wages including welfare share were increased by 45 percent in the first 6 months of the first year, 15 percent in the second 6 months, and 10+10 percent in the first and second 6 months of the second year.

VEDAT IŞIKHAN BECAME THE NEW MINISTER

At the 15th Ordinary General Assembly of HAK-İŞ held on May 11, Mahmut Arslan was re-elected as the chairman.

Following the presidential and parliamentary general elections, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced the new cabinet members of the Presidential Government System on June 3. Vedat Işıkhan became the new Minister of Labor and Social Security. Işıkhan took over from Vedat Bilgin on June 5.

The 111th International Labor Conference of the International Labor Organization (ILO) was held in Geneva, Switzerland, on 5-16 June. Approximately 5 thousand delegates, including government, worker and employer representatives from 187 ILO member countries, attended the conference. At the conference, workers in Turkey were represented by TÜRK-İŞ and employers were represented by TİSK.

MINIMUM WAGE HAS BEEN INCREASED INTERMEDIATELY

The Minimum Wage Determination Commission, consisting of workers, employers and government representatives, met on June 20, hosted by the Ministry of Labor and Social Security. The Commission decided to increase the minimum wage to 13 thousand 414 lira gross and 11 thousand 402 lira net as of July 1, 2023.

According to July statistics on the number of union members, the unionization rate of workers in Turkey was 14.7 percent and that of civil servants was 74.54 percent.

RAISE RATE FOR CIVIL SERVANTS AND RETIRED PUBLIC OFFICIALS HAS BEEN DETERMINED

“Turkish States Trade Union Organization” was established on July 29 with the participation of labor confederations of Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. At the 1st Ordinary General Assembly of the organization on November 29, TÜRK-İŞ Chairman Ergün Atalay was elected as the chairman.

Civil servant unions and the government started negotiations on August 1 for the raise rate of approximately 4 million civil servants and 2.5 million retired civil servants in 2024 and 2025. After the parties could not reach an agreement, the Public Servants Arbitration Board determined the raise rate on July 31. The Arbitration Board decided to increase civil servant salaries and civil servant pensions by 15 percent in the first 6 months of 2024, 10 percent in the second 6 months, 6 percent in the first 6 months of 2025, and 5 percent in the second 6 months.

NEW MINIMUM WAGE WAS NET 17 THOUSAND 2 LIRA

The government decided to make a one-time payment of 5 thousand liras to retirees who do not work on October 9. Upon the request of retired farmers and tradesmen from Bağkur, the scope of payments to be made was expanded on November 24. Payments were made to 4 million 688 thousand 945 people included in the application on December 29.

At the 24th Ordinary General Assembly of TÜRK-İŞ on November 30, Ergün Atalay was re-elected as the chairman.

In the last week of the year, the minimum wage was determined as gross 20 thousand 2 lira 50 kuruş and net 17 thousand 2 lira 12 kuruş for 2024 by the majority vote of the worker and employer delegations in the Minimum Wage Determination Commission.