JOINT STATEMENT BY TURK METAL, BIRLESIK METAL AND OZCELIK TRADE UNIONS
In our country, all those who earn a living with their labor, especially workers, are struggling with the cost of living and the resulting livelihood difficulties caused by unfavorable economic conditions and high inflation. In addition to this, the high increase in the minimum wage rate this year has led to a convergence between wages and a deterioration in the wage balance in the workplaces where we are organized.
This situation necessitated a new arrangement based on seniority increase in the Group Collective Bargaining Agreement signed by our unions Türk Metal, Birleşik Metal and Özçelik with MESS, the Employers' Association of Metal Industries, on January 12, 2022 and valid between September 1, 2021 and August 31, 2023.
In this respect, the last of the negotiations that have been going on for some time was held today (Tuesday, January 17, 2023) at the Turkish Employers’ Association of Metal Industries, MESS Headquarters and the social partners decided to announce the following agreement to the public.
Accordingly;
As of 31 December 2022, the hourly wage of workers will be 48.04 TL.
In addition, the fourth period wage increase, which should have been given by the employer to the employee in March 2023 according to the collective bargaining agreement in force (given in March according to the terms of the agreement), will be applied as 15 percent after the aforementioned regulation. However, it has been decided that if the inflation rate for the last six months in March is more than 15 percent, it will be reflected in the wages to be paid on February 28.
According to this regulation, for each year of seniority, 70 cents will be added to workers' hourly wages, not exceeding 10.5 TL.
As a result, the total increase obtained under the agreement amounted to 34 percent.
We believe that this improvement made by our unions will reduce to some extent the real wage losses experienced by our members working in MESS affiliated workplaces and that we will compensate for our losses in the MESS Group Collective Bargaining Agreement for the 2023-2025 period.
Sincerely.
Pevrul Kavlak Adnan Serdaroğlu Yunus Değirmenci
Turkish Metal Worker’s Union Bırlesik Metal-Is Ozcelik-Is
President President President
