Türkiye, Hungary

The EIRO industrial relations observatory reports that the government and social partners have agreed new minimum wage rates including a new three-tier minimum wage system. For 2006 the government has recommended a 10.5% increase to HUF 63,000 (254 euros). The second rate for jobs requiring a vocational qualification will be 10% higher at HUF 70,000 and the third minimum wage rate will be another 10% higher at HUF 77,000 for jobs requiring a degree. The Ministry of Finance has also indicated the level of minimum wages up to 2010, with the lowest rising to 90,000. Union targets for the minimum

After the threat of strike action employers in the electricity industry agreed a 4.5% pay increase for 2006. Although ahead of inflation (currently around 2%) the deal acknowledges high productivity growth of around 10%. The deal also includes a minimum monthly salary for the industry of 63,500 HUF (240 euros).

Over the next two weeks three Turkish union federations will be negotiating with various ministerial representatives in the Public Employers Board over the pay and conditions of 1.5 million government workers. Improving minimum rates and higher pay increases for the lowest paid workers are among the key demands of the three federations. All three will be organising various events and demonstrations in support of their claims. If a deal can't be reached within two weeks then a conciliation board made up of academics is brought in to find a way to conclude the negotiations. Federations are

A dispute over pay increases for civil servants in 2007 has reached the Cabinet after government negotiators failed to agree an increase. This followed the intervention of the National Reconciliation Board after direct negotiations between the government and trade unions ended without agreement. The National Reconciliation Board recommended two increases of 5% for civil servants in 2007 with lower paid civil servants getting two increases of 6%. The latest offer from the government was only two general increases of 3% with two of 4% for the lowest paid. [Read more at > Turkish Daily News

The Enerji Yapi-Yol Sen public sector union in Turkey has finally secured a ruling from the European Court of Human Rights over a Turkish government circular banning public servants from taking strike action. The Court press release says that the Court acknowledged that the right to strike was not absolute and could be subject to certain conditions and restrictions. However, while certain categories of civil servants could be prohibited from taking strike action, the ban did not extend to all public servants or to employees of State-run commercial or industrial concerns. In this particular

The workers of the municipal company have been dismissed, all 276. In protest and to draw attention to the unacceptable behavior of the mayor they are walking all the way from Izmir to Ankara, a march of close to 30 days. They are supported by GENEL-Is. PSI and EPSU have intervened and sent messages of support. [Read more at > GENEL-IS (TK)->http://www.genel-is.org.tr/diger_incele.php?id=NDYx] [Or at > Google translation (EN)->http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=tr&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.genel-is.org.tr%2Fdiger_incele.php%3Fid%3DNDYx] [And at > EPSU (EN)->http://www.epsu.org/a

Despite threats of legal action from the government, unions representing doctors and other health workers were involved in protests on 19 January against proposed reforms to the health service. The changes will mean that doctors will lose their current right to work part-time in private institutions and this will mean a substantial cut in pay. The Hürriyet news website also carries an article outlining the urgent need for Turkey’s labour laws to be reformed because of the major and unfair restrictions imposed on trade unions. [Read more at > Hürriyet news website (EN)->http://www