Yalçın commented on the benefits resulting from the collective agreement on Ülke TV

Ali Yalçın, President of Memur-Sen, commented on the benefits resulting from the collective agreement for the next two-year period signed between Memur-Sen and the public employer on Ülke TV. He said, "Due to the improvements achieved in the branch agreements, the increase in the wage and pensions is worth 7 billion Turkish Liras.

Recalling that the collective bargaining concerns more than 6 million public employees, including 4 million civil servants and 2 million retired civil servants, Ali Yalçın said: "The outcome of this agreement will benefit, by extension, farmers, merchants and liberal professions, resulting in positive effects on a large part of society," he said.

Pointing out the weakness of the real mobilizable margins of maneuver that is at the heart of the difficulties of wage negotiations in the public sector, Yalçın said, "there are notable differences in the regulations, especially on the legal duration and frequency of collective bargaining, which is spread over a period of 1 month every 2 years for the public sector, while for workers in the private sector, renewed every year, collective bargaining is spread over a period of 2 months," he said.

Referring to the demands of the Memur-Sen confederation in terms of social welfare, Ali Yalçın said, "Despite all our efforts, we came up against a public employer fiercely opposed to the granting of a 6% increase in the social welfare of public employees." he lamented.

Pointing out that Memur-Sen had initially demanded a 38% wage increase for the next two years, Yalçın added, "It goes without saying that as a trade unionist we would have wanted more, but we obtained a general wage increase of around 28.61% and there are times when you have to conclude," he insisted, saying that he was "very proud that Memur-Sen knows how to be very firm in negotiation and in the end act on the compromise, when it is positive for the workers.

In addition, responding to journalists on the issue of progress made in terms of social rights, Yalçin said he was pleased to note the increase in the premium reserved for unionized public employees, which will therefore rise from 536 TL to 1600 TL/year (+300%). Adding that: "With the premiums and allowances obtained in particular at the level of sectoral branches, the salaries of public officials will be revalued between and 32% and 40% for the next two-year period," he said.

Finally, referring to the outcome of the rally held in Anadolu Square in Ankara, Ali Yalçın said, "The call for collective protest action by the Memur-Sen confederation, which according to police data gathered more than 15,000 people, weighed heavily on the public employer's decision to revise its initial proposal upwards," he welcomed.