Memur-Sen Organization Takes to the Streets with the Slogan "Renew the Offer"

ANKARA - Memur-Sen-affiliated unions have taken to the streets in response to the low wage increase proposal for 2026 and 2027 from the Public Employer. Many service branches held demonstrations in front of the relevant institutions, demanding a fair, prosperity-sharing, and up-to-date offer.

The public's reaction to the Public Employer's proposals of 16% and 8% for 2026 and 2027, respectively, continues to grow. These figures fall far short of Memur-Sen's demands for an 88% raise in 2026 and a 46% raise in 2027. Following the demonstrations at the Ministry of Labor and Social Security and in all provinces of Turkey, Memur-Sen-affiliated unions held protests in front of designated institutions.

"There is Injustice in Income Distribution"

The Birlik Haber-Sen organization first gathered in front of the Ankara PTT Headquarters, stating that they had come together to call on the Public Employer to renew its unfair and unserious offer. Birlik Haber-Sen President Ömer Budak emphasized that the Public Employer insists on its mistakes from the previous period, stating, "This offer does not compensate for the real losses of the last two years, it ignores retirees, and it devalues our labor. It does not correct the injustice in income distribution or the distortion in wage balance, and it does not ensure workplace peace. It forces poverty on 6.5 million people for two more years. This offer is the product of a distorted economic mindset that aims to curb inflation by cutting civil servants' salaries. It is an act of cutting the bill for economic instability and high inflation for civil servants, who are not responsible for these problems."

Doğan: "The Proposed Figures Have Nothing to Do with the Marketplace"

Afterward, Sağlık-Sen members gathered in front of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, stating that the Public Employer should come up with an offer that includes a prosperity share to compensate for past losses. Memur-Sen Secretary-General and Sağlık-Sen President Mahmut Faruk Doğan, who spoke here, said, "The Public Employer delegation has not heard the voice of the nurse working in the emergency room! The Public Employer delegation has ignored the nurse in the intensive care unit. It has disregarded the midwife in the delivery room! It has not seen the paramedic rushing in the ambulance 24/7. The proposed figures have nothing to do with the marketplace."

"The Public Employer Should Come with a New Offer"

Bayındır Memur-Sen, in its demonstration in front of the Sincan Etimesgut Land Registry Office, emphasized that the Public Employer must urgently submit a new offer. Memur-Sen Vice President and Bayındır Memur-Sen President Soner Can Tufanoğlu listed their demands as follows: "Rotating capital fees in the Land Registry and Cadastre should be increased, new titles should be given in the Land Registry to establish workplace peace, all Land Registry and Cadastre employees should be given a land registry and cadastre allowance, archive officers should be transferred to the technical services class, road maintenance and snow removal allowances should be given to highway workers, AFAD allowance should be given to AFAD employees, and Inspection and Control Allowance should be given to Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change employees."

Ali Küçükkösen: "The Patience of Retirees Has Run Out"

Emekli Memur-Sen also marched to the Ministry of Labor and Social Security to voice the income losses experienced by retirees and to explain their expectations from the 8th Term Collective Bargaining. Emekli Memur-Sen President Ali Küçükkösen said, "Our patience has run out, the knife has reached the bone, our livelihood problems have gone over our heads. The ratio between the on-duty salary and the retirement pension has dropped to 45%. The lump-sum increase of 8,077 TL, which was not reflected in retirees' pensions, has now risen to 18,600 TL. Because this amount was not reflected in our pensions, we are forced to live far below the poverty line today. The Employer Delegation does not see or ignores the injustice. That's why they do not choose to increase the base salary and relieve retirees. With the non-given lump-sum increase, almost one retiree's pension is being taken away from us today."

"The Collective Bargaining Should Not Be Rushed"

Diyanet-Sen members, who gathered in front of the Ministry of Treasury and Finance, emphasized the salaries eroding against high inflation. Memur-Sen Vice President and Diyanet-Sen President Ali Yıldız, who stated that the Public Employer should compensate for the losses of fixed-income earners in recent years, said, "We demand that our proposals regarding the overtime pay of our religious officials, the additional payments and special service allowances of our service branch employees, the inspectors, education officials, preachers, proxies, specialists, Quran Course Instructors, imams, muezzins, contracted personnel, and General Directorate of Foundations employees, and all other issues be seriously negotiated, not rushed in a short time, and that our proposals be accepted. We do not accept the contract being rushed with stalling tactics."

Talat Yavuz: "Injustices Should Be Solved at the Table"

Eğitim-Bir-Sen showed its reaction in front of the Ministry of National Education to the Public Employer's offer, which does not provide income justice or wage balance, and ignores education and science employees and retirees. Talat Yavuz, Secretary-General of Eğitim-Bir-Sen, said, "When will the necessity of increasing the unit amount of additional course fees, which once corresponded to one-third of a teacher's salary, be realized? In a country where forced labor has been prohibited since the Tanzimat Edict, why are school administrators burdened with compulsory investigator duties, which are no different from forced labor and are not paid? What kind of conscience allows auxiliary services class personnel to be treated as second-class citizens, their demands for promotion and appointment to positions suitable for their education to be left unanswered, and the inadequacy of their wages? Is there a more suitable ground than the collective bargaining table to solve all this injustice? We are at the table because the collective bargaining table is the place to solve the problems of all education employees, including auxiliary services personnel, civil servants, data preparers, treasurers, drivers, cooks, security guards, and chiefs, who are an inseparable part of education and bear the burden. The table should not put the ball in the other court; it should produce solutions. Is it not yet time to eliminate the imbalance between the work and wages of education inspectors and their assistants, who are drowning under a heavy workload and are stuck between inspection and guidance responsibilities? What logic allows excessive overtime pay to be seen as a burden for security guards on public holidays and official holidays? The problems awaiting a solution in the Teaching Profession Law and career steps, hierarchical distortions in the personnel system, and wage injustices must be solved at the table."

"Wear Black to Work" Action from Ulaştırma Memur-Sen

Ulaştırma Memur-Sen also strongly expressed its reaction to the Public Employer's low offers by going to their workplaces wearing black clothes and "Civil Servant Demands Rights" cockades with the "Wear Black to Work!" action throughout Turkey.