Historic Wage Hike Paves Way for Public Sector Workers: 2025 Public Collective Bargaining Framework Protocol Signed!

Ankara – A landmark agreement for over 600,000 public sector workers in Turkey has been officially inked: the 2025 Public Sector Collective Bargaining Framework Protocol was signed on August 2, 2025, following extensive negotiations. The protocol, formalized at a ceremony at the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, marks a significant stride in improving wages, increasing bonuses, and regulating various social rights for public employees, reflecting a consensus between the Ministry, HAK-İŞ, TÜRK-İŞ Confederations, and Public Employer Union representatives.

The signing ceremony, chaired by Minister of Labor and Social Security Vedat Işıkhan, saw the participation of key figures from the labor and employer sides. Attendees included HAK-İŞ Public Framework Coordination Board President and Vice President Devlet Sert, HAK-İŞ Vice President Halil Çukutli, TÜRK-İŞ Confederation representatives Ramazan Ağar, Eyüp Alemdar, İrfan Kabaloğlu, Nazmi Irgat, Public Employer Union Deputy Secretary General Dr. Şerefettin Güler, and various General Presidents and executives of unions organized in the public sector.

Protocol Details: Enhancements for Public Sector Workers

The 2025 Public Sector Collective Bargaining Framework Protocol covers collective bargaining agreements with effective dates within 2025. Its core provisions include substantial improvements across several categories:

1. Base Wage and Fixed Increment Adjustments:

• Base Wage Increase: Public workers whose gross monthly bare wages were below 42,000.00 TL at the start date of the collective bargaining agreement will have their wages increased to 42,000.00 TL.

  • For daily wage systems, this amounts to 1,400.00 TL/Day.

  • For hourly wage systems, it is 186.67 TL/Hour.

• Fixed Increment: Workers whose gross monthly bare wages are 42,000.00 TL or above will receive a fixed increment of 1,200.00 TL/MONTH.

  • This translates to 40.00 TL/Day for daily wage systems.

  • And 5.33 TL/Hour for hourly wage systems.

• Exclusivity Clause: Workers benefiting from the base wage adjustment will not be eligible for the fixed increment.

2. Phased Wage Increases: After the base wage adjustment or fixed increment application, workers' wages will see staged increases from the collective bargaining agreement's effective date:

• First Year, First Six Months: A 24% increase will be applied.

• First Year, Second Six Months: A fixed increment of 1,500.00 TL/MONTH (50.00 TL/Day, 6.67 TL/Hour) will be applied, followed by an 11% increase. If inflation, as per TÜİK data, exceeds 11%, the exceeding portion will be added to the wage increase for the second year's first six months.

• Second Year, First Six Months: A 10% increase will be applied. If inflation, as per TÜİK data, exceeds 10%, the exceeding portion will be added to the wage increase for the second year's second six months.

• Second Year, Second Six Months: A 6% increase will be applied. If inflation, as per TÜİK data, exceeds 6%, the exceeding portion will be added to the wage from the first day of the following month.

3. Bonus Arrangement:

• For workplaces where the number of bonus days paid to workers (excluding additional tediye) is less than 60 days, an additional bonus payment of 20 days will be made in the first year and another 20 days in the second year, not exceeding a total of 60 days.

4. Fixed Payments Adjustment:

• Non-wage fixed payments (such as birth, death, marriage, clothing aid, additional payment, meal aid, combined social aid, service increment, travel aid, fixed premium, compensation, etc.) will be increased by the same percentage as wage increases, effective from the date of wage adjustment.

5. Provisions for Specific Situations:

• Workplaces with Ongoing Jurisdictional Disputes: For workers in these workplaces, the wage increases and social aids determined by the protocol will be applied as an advance, to be offset against differences from future collective bargaining agreements.

• Workplace/Enterprise-Specific Issues: Issues specific to enterprises or workplaces will be resolved through discussions between the parties to the collective bargaining agreement.

6. Legislative Work for Outsourced and KHK 696 Workers:

• Outsourced Workers (Taşeron) Excluded from KHK 696: Legislative efforts will continue for the employment of sub-employer workers (outsourced) excluded from Law No. 696 in public institutions and organizations.

• Personal Rights for KHK 696 Workers: Legal regulatory efforts will continue regarding the temporary assignment of workers who transitioned to permanent staff under KHK No. 696 in cases of illness, disability, health, and spousal status.

• Additional Payments for Provincial Special Administration and Municipality Company Workers: Legislative work will continue to provide additional tediye payments to workers in Provincial Special Administration Companies and Municipality Companies, in accordance with Law No. 6772.

7. Other Key Provisions:

• For workers covered by collective bargaining agreements with an effective date of March 1, 2025, after the base wage or fixed increment and the first six-month wage increase of the first year are applied, an additional 3.68% increase will be applied due to the previous period's inflation difference. The same procedure will apply to agreements effective February 1, April 1, and May 1, 2025, and this increase will also be reflected in fixed payments.

• An additional premium of 7% will be given to workers in specified institutions, while workers in other institutions will receive a 3% additional premium. This premium will be added to the existing premium received by all workers.

• Wages in workplaces where they remain low despite the base wage regulation will be adjusted and improved through regulations based on entry-level wages.

• Payment of Differences: Wage and all other payment differences accrued between the effective date and the signing date of the collective bargaining agreements will be paid without delay, taking into account the budget possibilities of the institutions.

Statements from Minister Işıkhan and HAK-İŞ Representative Sert

Following the signing ceremony, Minister of Labor and Social Security Vedat Işıkhan stated, "We have reached the conclusion of the Public Framework Protocol negotiations concerning 600,000 public workers, and we have just signed the protocol. Over a 7-month period, we strived to successfully manage the process. We endeavored to conduct the process successfully with our unions through social dialogue. Our prolonged negotiation process has finally reached a certain point, and we have signed our agreement with HAK-İŞ and TÜRK-İŞ parties. I wish our protocol to be beneficial, especially for our 600,000 public workers."

Devlet Sert, HAK-İŞ Public Coordination Board President and Vice President, expressed that the protocol, covering 600,000 public workers, concluded with an agreement after long negotiations. Sert remarked, "As HAK-İŞ, we are always aware of our responsibilities. With an understanding that values social dialogue, we continued our work today as in the past. We never shied away from responsibility. Of course, serious difficulties and challenges may arise in collective bargaining negotiations. But we never adopted an attitude of abandoning the table." Sert added that despite different perceptions aiming to sabotage the process, the agreement was reached. "We have carried the responsibility for 600,000 workers in the public sector, including not only members of HAK-İŞ Confederation but also TÜRK-İŞ Confederation, to this day," he said. Devlet Sert extended his thanks to General President Mahmut Arslan, Minister of Labor and Social Security Vedat Işıkhan, the President, the unions, and the TÜRK-İŞ delegation, wishing the protocol to bring benefits to working life.

With this historic protocol, a new era has opened for public sector workers, marking a crucial step forward in the working life of Turkey.