Memur-Sen set up tents to protest the collective bargaining proposals in 81 provinces.

16.08.2025 22:20

Members of Memur-Sen set up "Civil Servant-Retiree Vigil" protest tents in 81 provinces to protest the public employer delegation's proposals during the 8th Term Collective Bargaining negotiations. Ali Yalçın, the Chairman of the Public Officials' Trade Unions Council, announced that the authorized unions in the service branches were invited to the Ministry of Labor and Social Security following the protests.

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Members of Memur-Sen set up "Public Employee-Retiree Vigil" tents in 81 provinces to protest the offers of the Public Employer Delegation within the scope of the 8th Term Collective Bargaining negotiations.

Members of Memur-Sen who came to the protest tent, where banners reading 'Public Employee-Retiree in Action' and 'No to Insufficient Offer' were hung, chanted slogans such as 'Words are in the air, public employees are on the field', 'Don't be silent, shout out, the share of prosperity is a right', 'We are public employees, we are right, we will win', and 'Change the law, let the table work'. The members participating in the protest showed their reactions to the public employer's offer by playing drums and zurna.

"THE OFFER WE EXPECTED HAS NOT YET ARRIVED"

Ali Yalçın, speaking to the Memur-Sen members participating in the tent vigil, said, "Today we have set up the public employee-retiree vigil tent in 81 provinces. Our activism regarding the collective bargaining process continues. Because the offer we expect from the table has not yet arrived."

Stating that the first offer from the public employer is insufficient and that the second offer has no negotiable aspect, Yalçın said, "They say they will increase the base salary by one thousand lira. What will we discuss at the table with this? What problem of ours will this solve?" Ali Yalçın continued his speech with the following statements:

"We will keep the table active until late on Monday. But instead of constantly saying, 'we will see, we will think about this', we need genuine sentences to be constructed. So far, there has only been procrastination. This is increasingly tiring the field and stressing the workers. The public employer is the one who will reduce this tension. Instead of opposing everything by calculating costs, we need to focus on 'when we give this, what problem do we solve in the field, how do we ensure work peace'. Therefore, we want tomorrow to be a day when decision sentences are constructed in the service branch contracts."

"AUTHORIZED UNIONS WERE INVITED TO THE MINISTRY"

Ali Yalçın reported that this morning, the authorized unions in the service branches were invited to the Ministry of Labor and Social Security. Stating that Minister Vedat Işıkhan will also participate in the negotiations, Yalçın said, "We want to avoid wasting more time on this issue, to present offers by constructing decision sentences, and to ensure that our collective bargaining process can operate healthily."

Recalling that the unions announced their protest decisions one after another following the second offer from the public employer delegation, Yalçın expressed that tents have been set up in the provinces and that union members are moving together with their families and children.

"We want this process not to be prolonged any further, for the offer to come as soon as possible, and for people to find peace," said Ali Yalçın, adding:

"As Memur-Sen, we will go on strike across Turkey on Monday, August 18. We will hold a large rally in Anadolu Square in Ankara and walk from there to the Ministry of Finance to explain our issue once again. From here, we call out to Mehmet Şimşek from our vigil point; stop pressuring the wages of workers under the guise of fiscal discipline, we have already succumbed to inflation in the last term. I send my greetings to all vigil points in 81 provinces that continue our determination for action, and I congratulate my friends on vigil. We are proud of you, you are great."

Memur-Sen Ankara Provincial Representative Nevzat Öylek hosted the members participating in the tent vigil.

WHAT DOES MEMUR-SEN WANT?

As Memur-Sen, we are proposing a 10% share of prosperity, a 10,000 lira increase in the base salary, and a 25% proportional increase in the first half of 2026, and a 20% proportional increase in the second half. In the first half of 2027, we demand a 7,500 lira increase in the base salary, a 20% proportional increase, and a 15% increase in the second half.

WHAT DID THE GOVERNMENT OFFER?

In addition to the previously presented offer of a 10% + 6% increase for 2026 by the Public Employer Delegation, a new item was proposed to the presidents. Accordingly, an increase of one thousand lira was proposed for the base salary of public employees. Officials stated that the negotiation process between the public employer delegation and union presidents regarding service branches will continue next week, including the weekend.