KESK Reacts to the Collective Bargaining Gain of Memur-Sen: "58 Articles Lie, Poverty is Real!"

ANKARA - Public workers' union KESK has reacted sharply to the "58-article gains" announced by the authorized confederation Memur-Sen after the 8th Term Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations. In an announcement on social media, KESK stated that most of the gains claimed by Memur-Sen are not new, but copied from previous periods. KESK emphasized that the poverty of civil servants and public laborers is an unchanging reality.

Numerical Facts Behind the Allegations

According to the statement of KESK, 44 of the 58 articles presented by Memur-Sen as "major gains" are exactly the same as the articles in the decisions taken by the Arbitration Board in 2023, down to the comma. This shows that these articles are not the result of new negotiations, but a repetition of articles already in force. In the statement, it was claimed that the number of truly new articles among the 58 articles was only 3.

This raises questions about the extent to which the expectations of public laborers were met at the collective bargaining table, and has led to criticism that the picture presented to the public by Memur-Sen does not reflect the reality. KESK said, "The articles are lies, poverty is real!" and stated that the real problem is not the articles on paper, but the economic problems experienced by civil servants.

Economic Realities and Trade Union Struggle

KESK argues that the failure to meet basic demands at the collective bargaining table, such as wage increases, welfare shares and a reduction in the poverty line, is causing public workers to become poorer and poorer every day. "While a 58-item list of gains was announced, millions of public laborers continue to live below the poverty line," the union said, reminding that the main goal of the union struggle is to achieve concrete gains that will improve the quality of life of its members. This criticism reveals the different approaches within the trade union movement and continues to generate debate among public laborers.