United Public-Is Confederation took action in Ankara: "Our Response to the Misery Offer is Strike!"

ANKARA - United Kamu-İş, one of the confederations of public workers' unions, organized a massive march and press statement in Ankara with workers from all over Turkey against the government's proposal for a "misery raise" at the collective bargaining table. The confederation emphasized that the main purpose of the actions was to fight against the usurpation of the rights of millions of civil servants and pensioners.

A Voice from All Turkey to Ankara: "We are not slaves!"

According to the confederation's social media posts, public workers from 81 provinces of Turkey gathered at Ankara Anıt Park and marched towards the Ministry of Labor and Social Security. Among the most striking slogans of the action were the slogans "Strike is our answer to the misery offer!" and "We are not slaves!" against the low raise rates offered by the government. With these slogans, the participants showed that they are determined to be paid for their labor.

Confederation President Orhan Yıldırım, in a press statement at Anıtpark, described the collective bargaining process as a "theater play" and stated that they will break this play. Yıldırım described the government's proposed raise rates of 10+6 percent for 2026 and 4+4 percent for 2027 as "a joke."

Released Figures Lie, Cost of Living is Real

Supported by DİSK, the public workers said the government had proposed raises based on "fake" inflation figures from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK), which do not reflect increases in rents, market prices and transportation costs. The speakers argued that the country's wealth should be distributed fairly, saying they were fighting "for their bread and butter."

According to the information obtained from the videos, the speeches made at the protest emphasized that the government's policies in favor of capital have brought civil servants, retirees and farmers to the hunger line. Stating that in the past, employees could own a house, but today they are deprived of these rights, the speakers ended the action by stating that their struggle will continue and they will "take their rights by the scruff of the neck."

This action clearly demonstrated how seriously public laborers take their demands in the collective bargaining process and their determination in this regard.