Turkey: KESK walks out of wage negotiations

Government and public servants unions’ representatives have met today to examine the government proposal for wage increases for next year. One of the public servants unions, KESK, has walked out of the meeting. KESK President Sami Evren said government had not taken their grievances seriously and called on all public servants to strike on September 20.

KESK wants the government to compensate public servants for wage increases forgone in previous years, while the government has to limit public expenditure if it wants to hold on to IMF targets.

According to law, discussions have to be concluded in 15 days and if both sides agree on a plan, it will have to be approved by the Cabinet.

If there is no agreement, Supreme Arbiter Council President and 4
Academics will examine the situation and submit a deal that has to be approved by both sides before being submitted to the Cabinet. If sides do not agree on this deal either, then all plans and documents will be sent to the cabinet for examination.

SAHIN: PUBLIC SERVANT PAY RISE WON’T BE UNDER INFLATION RATE
Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin said today that 2003 pay rise for public servants would not be under the inflation rate, adding that the proposed wage increase for 2004 was not below targeted 2004 inflation rate.

Speaking after the meeting at Prime Ministry with public servants unions’ representatives, Sahin said that it was impossible to talk about a set figure concerning public servants wages, adding that low pay earners would be receiving a higher increase than the rest.

He said they had agreed to form a commission to investigate the figures in question.

UNION REP: I BELIEVE THERE WILL BE AN AGREEMENT
Turkey Kamu-Sen public servants union President Bircan Akyildiz said today he believed there would be an agreement reached at the end of negotiations with the government on wage increases 2004.

Akyildiz, speaking after the three-hour meeting with a government delegation headed by Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin, said that they were committed to resolve the question over promises made to public servants for 2003.

He noted that public servants had experienced a loss of 18 percent in wages in 2003, adding that this was one of the issues that they had failed to agree on with the government.

He said he believed the consluding agreement between government and unions would be for the benefit of all public servants, and dismissed the need for hunger strikes.

In today’s meeting, which another union KESK walked out, it was agreed to form a commission of Treasury, State Planning Agency, to investigate, State Personnel Department and Turkey Kamu-sen representatives to examine the issue of losses experienced by public servants in 2003. The commission will start its work tomorrow.