21.08.2025 01:26
Memur-Sen has decided to abandon its plan to take the government's wage offer to the Arbitration Board. In a statement regarding the 8th Term Collective Bargaining process, which ended in disagreement, Memur-Sen President Ali Yalçın said, "Neither we nor the public employees have the slightest faith or confidence in the arbitrator."
Negotiations for the 8th Collective Bargaining Agreement, which closely concerns nearly 6.5 million civil servants and retired civil servants, have been completed. During the negotiations that started on August 1, no agreement was reached between the Public Employer Delegation and Memur-Sen.
As required by law, with the expiration of the time granted for reconciliation, Memur-Sen must bring its wage proposal to the Public Servants Arbitration Board. However, Memur-Sen President Ali Yalçın announced in his latest statement that they will not appeal to the Arbitration Board. Yalçın stated, "We do not trust the Arbitration Board. We have done everything we can to achieve results. The initiative is with the government; there is no step left for us to take. We have three days left, and the struggle will continue."
Yalçın's statement is as follows:
"In order for civil servants and retirees to reach a livable economic level and achieve social welfare, it is unfortunately the case that the process of the 8th Term Collective Bargaining Agreement we are conducting as the authorized confederation has resulted in a deadlock due to the public employer's distant attitude towards reconciliation.
Since we presented our proposals on July 24 as Memur-Sen, we have persistently expressed that the place where the accumulated problems of public servants should be solved, where justice and fairness should be ensured, and where the distorted wage scale should be corrected is the Collective Bargaining table.
We have an arbitration process ahead of us. Neither we nor public servants have any faith or confidence in the arbitrator. Because the distant attitudes of those who have arbitrated in the past, their unfair decisions, and their lack of will have turned the arbitrators into public employer arbitrators, removing them from being the Public Servants Arbitration Board."
WHAT IS THE ARBITRATION BOARD?
The Arbitration Board consists of 11 members, 6 of whom are appointed by the President. 4 members of the board are from Memur-Sen, one is from Kamu-Sen, and the other member is selected by the President from among the academics proposed by Memur-Sen. Thus, the government's weight in the board is clearly visible.
THE IMPORTANCE AND PROCESS OF THE ARBITRATION BOARD'S DECISION
The decision to be made by the Arbitration Board will be final and will have the force of a collective bargaining provision. It is expected that the decision will be announced within 5 days after the application.
WHAT WAS OFFERED?
In its latest offer, the government proposed a 11% increase for the first six months of 2026, a 7% increase for the second six months; a 4% increase for the first six months of 2027, and again a 4% increase for the second six months. The proposal also included a suggestion to improve the base monthly salary by 1,000 TL. While there was no expectation for an increase in the wage rates from the unions, there was an expectation for a regulation in the base salary improvement. However, no new offer came from the government until midnight.
UNIONS' DEMAND
Memur-Sen has a proposal for a 88% increase for 2026 and a 46% increase for 2027. Additionally;
- A 10,000 TL increase and a 10% welfare share increase in the base salary in 2026,
- A 7,500 TL increase in the base salary in 2027,
- Increasing the collective bargaining bonus to 2,925 TL per month,
- Monthly rent assistance of 17,600 TL are also among the demands.
IT WILL AFFECT 6.5 MILLION PEOPLE
With the completion of the process, the collective bargaining increases to be applied in 2026 and 2027 will become clear. The gains to be achieved will directly affect 4 million civil servants and 2.5 million retired civil servants.