An Important Meeting from Our Union: One More Step for Our Rights!

AN IMPORTANT MEETING BY OUR UNION: ONE MORE STEP FOR OUR RIGHTS!

At a meeting held in the office of Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism Dr. Batuhan MUMCU, Director General for Personnel Nihat Umut Döktür, Kültür Emek-Sen President Yavuz Demirkaya, Kültür Emek-Sen General Secretary Alper Tazebaş and Ministry Adviser Ayşegül Genç came together.

In an intensive meeting, many demands we have long voiced were brought to the table once again. Our agenda items were as follows:

The grade-adjustment (intibak) problem of contracted staff who moved from 4B to 4A status: this arrangement is expected to be enacted in the new legislative session in October. We are following the process together!

Reflecting the across-the-board raise in bonuses and incentives: our proposals were presented. We were informed that talks are continuing at the Ministry of Treasury and Finance. We also stated that we have identified regulatory shortcomings in the bonus, incentive and attendance-record practices of all art institutions under our Ministry, and we made proposals on the need for regulation.

Our proposals for salary improvements were presented once more.

Inequalities in civil-service entry grades: we shared our expectation of a solution to equalise the difference in entry grades between graduates of Fine Arts Faculty theatre departments and Conservatory theatre departments.

Our demand for improvements in the grade and step conditions of artists during traineeship was also put on the table.

At the end of the meeting: with the process nearing completion on the side of our union and the Ministry, the matter now rests with the Presidency — the relevant legislative provision will come onto the agenda in the new legislative session.

As Kültür Emek-Sen, we will continue to defend our members' rights, to voice them on every platform, and to follow up until results are achieved.