Kılıçdaroğlu promises to increase lowest civil servant salary to 2.5 times the minimum wage

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In a campaign video released around midnight yesterday (May 4) Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the joint presidential candidate of the People's Alliance of six opposition parties and the leader of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) declared that the wages of public employees will be recovered and working conditions improved.

"To put it plainly, civil servants have been ruined. Their homes and livelihoods have been destroyed. They have been dragged into debt. I cannot be a bystander to this injustice. I am a numbers person. I look at the figures when I make my decisions," Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu said in his campaign video.

The leader of Turkey's oldest party, who managed to secure the support of the other oppositional parties, explains why he promised to make this sharp rise in civil servant wages.

"In 2012, the lowest civil servant salary was 2.5 times the minimum wage. Currently, this ratio has fallen to 1.4. That is why, as soon as I come to power, I will raise the lowest civil servant salary to 2.5 times the minimum wage. In other words, if we speak in today's numbers, the lowest civil servant salary will be at a level of 21,265 lira (988 Euro)," he said.

Despite recent revisions, such as a 30% pay rise implemented in January 2023, civil servants' salaries and purchasing power have declined in recent years.

Moreover, social benefits for individuals, such as those with disabilities, are indexed on the salaries of civil servants. Any hikes in public servant salaries could potentially benefit a significant segment of society.

Kamu. Memurlar. pic.twitter.com/UhmG7Bfm7u

— Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu (@kilicdarogluk) May 4, 2023

Working hours 

Besides promises of proper pay, Kılıçdaroğlu addresses the overwhelming working hours burdening government employees.

"Dear civil servant brothers and sisters, Mr. Kemal has spent 27.5 years of his life in civil service. If there is anyone who can bring spring to civil servants, believe me, it is Mr. Kemal. Let me also tell you this: The problems that our civil servants face are not limited to their salaries," The 74-year-old former director-general of the Social Insurance Institution (SSK) explains, furthermore arguing that extremely high working hours are one of the reasons for police officers to commit suicide.

The number of police officer suicides has skyrocketed over the past six years. Between 2016 and 2022, 347 police officers took their own lives. Four times higher than the average rate in society, the Daily Sözcü indicates.

'All teachers will become permanently employed'

The video finishes with promises to Turkey's teachers, ensuring they receive a fixed contract.

In 2021 Turkey had 774,536 teachers with a fixed contract and 114,100 on a non-fixed basis, according to the Minister of National Education Mahmut Özer. OECD's most recent survey on teaching and learning indicated that Turkey's teachers' reported satisfaction levels might be significantly influenced by factors such as career stability, mobility, and working conditions.

"Our 1.2 million teachers, who we entrust our children to, who are the guarantee of our future, are our precious ones. They try to do their job under deplorable conditions, from overcrowded classrooms to hygiene problems and material shortages in schools," the oppositional contender stated, guaranteeing to appoint new personnel and to give teachers fixed contracts after May 15.

Kılıçdaroğlu concluded his video saying, "We will eliminate distinctions such as contract teachers, paid teachers, and permanent teachers. All teachers will become permanently employed. There's so much more Mr. Kemal will do. Wait and see." (AS/WM/PE)