Following their dismissal from Tekel, Turkey’s alcohol and tobacco monopoly, workers from throughout Turkey gathered in Ankara on Dec. 15 to protest, demanding that the government transfer them to other public institutions while preserving their existing rights. The government, in response, offered the workers the option of employment under 4/C or resigning to receive severance and notice pay. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with Confederation of Turkish Labor Unions (Türk-İş) President Mustafa Kumlu in Ankara on Friday to address the current impasse. After the meeting, Erdoğan instructed Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek and State Minister Hayati Yazıcı to commence studies for improving conditions for Tekel workers. The ministers introduced the initial results of their studies to the Cabinet on Monday.
As part of the planned improvements to 4/C, the government expects to increase temporary employment to 12 months from the current 11 months. Having worked for a full year in a public institution, workers dismissed from privatized public firms will have the opportunity to receive severance pay from the state. In addition to this, workers employed under 4/C will be able to take longer annual leave while they will also enjoy an increase in their salaries. The government had increased the salaries of 4/C workers by TL 115 at the beginning of the year, raising the lowest salary to TL 722, while the highest amount paid to 4/C workers increased to TL 938 per month. The Finance Ministry is expected to generate separate proposals for a second hike shortly. Prime Minister Erdoğan will then have the final word on the changes.
With the anticipated changes, the government expects to delay issuing severance and notice pay, totaling some TL 450 million, to Tekel workers. If the government manages to persuade the Tekel workers to agree to 12 months of temporary employment, this money will be used to pay the salaries of workers during this period.
Meanwhile, a group of officials from Türk-İş met with State Minister Yazıcı at the Prime Ministry in Ankara late on Monday to discuss the results of the study. Following their meeting on Friday, union head Kumlu said Erdoğan would shortly summon the related parties to a second meeting.
