United Public Workers' Union's Striking Exit at the 8th Term Collective Bargaining Table

Ankara - As the collective bargaining talks, which will determine the financial and social rights of millions of civil servants and civil servant retirees for the years 2026-2027, begin in August, unions continue to announce their demands one after another. United Kamu-İş, which will participate in this year's negotiations for the first time as the third confederation with the highest number of members, is preparing to sit at the table with very ambitious demands for public laborers. United Kamu-İş stated that they will break the "game played at the table" and demanded a 72 percent increase as a priority.

New Actor at the Collective Bargaining Table: Radical Demands from United Public-Is

In addition to Memur-Sen and Türkiye Kamu-Sen, for the first time this year Birleşik Kamu-İş will participate in the critical talks between the government and the unions. The confederation set out with a striking increase rate to compensate for the losses due to the fact that public laborers have not received their fair share of the welfare increase during the AKP period and the inflation calculation of TURKSTAT.

United Public Labor's demands were listed as follows:

• First, a 72 percent raise: Public workers' salaries should be raised by 72 percent to their level on December 31, 2025.

• Periodic Increases: This increase will be followed by a 25 percent increase every 6 months, effective 01.01.2026, 01.07.2026, 01.01.2027 and 01.07.2027.

In addition to these rates, the confederation presented a series of other demands that envisage significant improvements in the economic and social rights of public laborers:

• Inflation Differential and Tax: Inflation differential losses should be paid monthly. Income tax should be fixed at 15 percent.

• Seniority and Pension: Increase the number of indicators in the calculation of seniority pension from 20 to 100 and remove the 25-year requirement. Reflect fringe benefits in pensions. 3.2 percent for those who started working after October 1, 2008.

• Additional Indicators and Degrees: All those who took office after January 1, 2016 should be given 1 degree. All laborers who reach the first degree should be given 3600 additional indicators and other additional indicators should be increased accordingly.

• Social Support:

  • Monthly rent subsidies of 29 thousand TL for the 3 big cities and 23 thousand TL for other cities.

  • Monthly 11,400 TL family allowance for the non-working spouse and monthly 3,800 TL family allowance for the child (including adopted and foster children), regardless of age.

  • Provide free daycare services for children aged 0-6. Laborers who cannot access this service should be given 25 thousand TL nursery support every month.

  • Monthly 7,750 TL food aid.

  • Provide free shuttle service without exception. Where this service is not provided, each worker should be given a public transportation card or fare.

• Working Conditions and Legal Rights:

  • Weekly working hours should be reduced to 35 hours.

  • Remove interviewing and merit as the basis for recruitment and promotion processes.

  • Apply a criminal record amnesty.

  • Pay a collective bargaining bonus of 2,205 TL.

Syndical Rights Emphasis: "Lift the Strike Ban!"

United Kamu-İş also made clear demands on trade union rights. The Confederation emphasized that the right to form and join a union should be extended to all workers, that the Arbitration Committee should be independent from the government and, most importantly, that the ban on strikes should be lifted. These demands reflect public workers' quest for a stronger union organization and bargaining power.

It remains to be seen what kind of impact United Public Labor will have on the collective bargaining table with these ambitious and comprehensive demands and how the negotiations will take shape.