THE AGREEMENT OF THE 100TH YEAR OF THE REPUBLIC HAS BEEN SIGNED
TÜRK-İŞ Vice- President and TÜRK METAL President Pevrul Kavlak:
"We have kept our promise; in the 100th year of our Republic, we have secured a wage increase exceeding 100%. The total raise for salaries in the first 6 months is 98%, and on an annual basis, it reaches 157.4%. When we include social benefits, the first 6 months' increase becomes 105.1%. We wish all our members good fortune and success."
The Group Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations between the Turkish Metal Workers' Union and the Metal Employers' Union (MESS), which began on September 26, 2023, involving 150 thousand workers, concluded with an agreement during the session held at the MESS Headquarters on January 17, 2024.
In the CBA negotiations, after five previous sessions where the proposals made by MESS were rejected by our union, a decision to strike was taken. Despite three additional sessions held after the decision to strike, no agreement could be reached. Today (Wednesday, January 17, 2024), the parties reconvened at the MESS Headquarters and reached an agreement in the negotiations for the 2023-2025 period MESS Group Collective Bargaining Agreement.
According to this agreement;
- On August 31, 2023, hourly wages below 65 TL were adjusted to 65 TL. This regulation affects 89,600 of our members.
- After the adjustment, all members received a 32% increase in their hourly wages.
- Following this, a flat-rate increase of 30 TL per hour was applied to all members.
- Subsequently, a 2 TL/hour increase was implemented for each seniority year for all members, limited to 15 years. This provision will be applied based on the initial employment dates of those who have retired.
- Thus, for the first six months of the agreement, a total average increase of approximately 98% was implemented, effective from September 1, 2023.
- For the second half of the agreement, salaries received an inflation-protected increase of 30% effective from March 1.
- The raise for the third half was determined as inflation plus a 3-point welfare share.
- The rate of increase for the fourth half was set at the inflation rate.
- Additionally, the agreement introduced a 140% increase in all social benefits for the first year and an annual inflation rate increase for the second year.
- Overtime pay on national holidays and public holidays was increased from 100% to 125%.
- Additionally, two days of circumcision leave were granted, and preschool education was included in the scope of educational assistance.
- It was decided to provide one day of paid leave to our disabled members on International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
- Thus, we obtained 80% of the desired percentage increase and 76% of the flat increase for the hourly wage, as outlined in our draft, including all withdrawal provisions.
- We received 2 TL out of the requested 3 TL seniority raise outlined in our draft.
- In cumulative terms, we achieved an average increase of 105.1%, including social benefits, for the first six months, and an average increase of 157.40% for the annual hourly wages.
TÜRK-İŞ Vice President and Turk Metal Union President Pevrul Kavlak stated in his remarks following the agreement, "We have kept our promise to our members, and once again, we made history with an increase exceeding 100% for the first six months of the 100th year of our Republic."
Kavlak stated, "The economic bottleneck our country is facing has primarily affected those who earn their living through hard work. The increasing inflation, causing the cost of living to rise each day, has led to significant financial difficulties for our people, especially wage earners. In such a period, we fought at the negotiating table for the metal workers we represent to lead a life worthy of human dignity. We endeavored to protect the sweat and labor entrusted to our union by our members, striving not to compromise on the rights and freedoms of labor and justice in the workplace."
“The current state of the CBA is a new victory for Turk Metal. I wish all our members prosperity and success” he stated.
Consequently, the negotiations for the Group Collective Labor Agreement between the Turkish Metal Workers' Union and the Metal Employers' Union (MESS), which commenced on September 26, 2023, involving 150 thousand workers, were finalized on January 17, 2024. The agreement was reached through the collective decision of the unions organizing metal workers in Turkey, namely the Turk Metal, Birleşik Metal , and Özçelik-İş as part of this group collective labor agreement.
