Teachers' Unions Oppose Ministry’s Proposal

Speaking at the protest, KTÖS General Secretary Burak Maviş stated, “This mindset aims to impoverish us by altering the calculation method for the cost-of-living adjustment and to disrupt our organizational structure through changes to the Collective Bargaining, Strike, and Referendum Law.”

Maviş explained that KTÖS and KTOEÖS were invited to the Technical Committee meeting for proposed legal changes, while KTAMS and other health unions were summoned for a similar meeting at the Ministry of Health later in the day.

He emphasized that their answer to the proposals would be a firm “no,” and since decisions require unanimity, the proposals would not pass. Maviş predicted that the Ministry would reconvene the High Advisory Board in the coming days.

Highlighting the economic challenges, Maviş noted that inflation had reached 60% annually but had recently dropped to around 51%. However, he criticized increases in expenses for official representation and other costs for institutions such as the Presidency and the Prime Ministry, stating, “Those labeling cost-of-living adjustments as an additional burden are the actual burden on the state.”

He also raised concerns about discrepancies in inflation calculations, noting they were unusually lower than Turkey’s inflation figures. “There must be either a mistake or fraud involved,” Maviş claimed.

Eylem: Education and Rights Are Being Neglected

KTOEÖS President Selma Eylem accused the Ministry of Education of neglecting the working conditions and rights of teachers. She stated that previous calls for Technical Committee meetings to address issues in education had been ignored.

“The government and the Ministry of Education have shown no interest in resolving these problems. The regulations on passing grades and disciplinary issues also require urgent work, yet education and rights are being sidelined,” Eylem remarked.

She criticized the Ministry’s focus on legislation that targets teachers, public employees, and workers by calling for adjustments under the guise of addressing the cost of living. Eylem declared that the unions would not accept these changes.