Budget Protest by Kesk/Bes in Front of the Parliament: "We Do Not Accept the Misery Contract! We Demand Our Share of the Budget!"

ANKARA - The Bureau Workers' Union (BES), affiliated to the Confederation of Public Employees' Trade Unions (KESK), made a stern statement in front of the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM) Plan and Budget Commission ahead of the 2026 Budget to be discussed.

BES, in an action with the slogan "We Do Not Accept the Misery Contract! We Demand Our Share from the Budget!", stated that the rights of public workers were usurped during the collective bargaining process and that they did not get enough share from the budget.

Participating in the press statement were KESK Co-Chairman Ahmet Karagöz, KESK Central Executive Committee (CEC) Members Sevgi Yılmaz, Sema Pınar and Erdal Karakuş and BES CEC Members, who loudly expressed the demands of public workers.

Fundamental Criticism: Salaries Crushed by Inflation

In the statement made by BES, it was stated that the 2026 Budget does not carry a realistic vision to increase the incomes of public workers who are oppressed by high inflation and the cost of living. It was criticized that the Collective Bargaining Agreement Raise Rates, which were imposed on Public Workers and described as "Misery Contract" by the Unions, were also taken as a basis in the Budget Preparation Process.

The union demanded the adoption of an approach that prioritizes the welfare of laborers in the budget negotiations, and emphasized that additional raises, welfare shares and a wage increase above the poverty line should be included in the budget.

KESK Co-Chair Ahmet Karagöz and BES Executives called on the members of the Budget Commission, stating that the budget to be prepared should be in the interests of labor and the people, not capital. The action ended with the message that public workers will closely follow the budget process and continue their struggle for their rights.