Regarding the one-time payment of 5 thousand lira to working retirees, Minister of Labor and Social Security Vedat Işıkhan said, "We have completed our preparations to make the payments within two days after the bill is accepted in the Parliament and published in the Official Gazette." said.
At the General Assembly of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, the Presidential Memorandum, which is required by the Articles of Association of the International Labor Organization (ILO), of which Turkey is a member, was read.
After the memorandum was presented to the General Assembly, Işıkhan spoke about the 2024 budget of his Ministry.
Işıkhan wished God's mercy to Saadet Party Kocaeli Deputy Hasan Bitmez, who passed away, and expressed his condolences to his family and relatives.
Referring to Israel's attacks on Gaza, Işıkhan said, "Israel, which committed genocide, must now be held accountable before international law." said.
Providing information about the memorandum, Işıkhan said that at the 111th International Labor Conference of the ILO held in June, the International Labor Convention on a Safe and Healthy Working Environment No. 191, the Recommendation No. 207 and the Recommendation on Qualified Apprenticeship were accepted with the vote of Turkey. reminded me.
Işıkhan said, “In 2022, the concept of 'A safe and healthy working environment' was added to the ILO's Framework of Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. "The amendment proposals envisaged by the contract and recommendation in question are of a technical and formal nature and aim to ensure integrity and clarity within international labor standards." said.
Minister Işıkhan said that the Ministry has started working on the adoption of the amendments mentioned in the "Urgent Action Convention on the Prohibition and Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labor No. 182" and the "Framework Convention on the Promotion of Occupational Health and Safety No. 187". Stating that the "Recommendation on Qualified Apprenticeship No. 111", which was adopted at the 208th International Labor Conference and is another guiding document, gave a clear definition to the concept of apprenticeship, Işıkhan said that it determined the high standards for qualified apprenticeship, including their rights and protections. noted.
Işıkhan also reminded that ILO Director General Gilbert Houngbo thanked Turkey for its work on the grain corridor at the G-20 Summit.
-"We aim to reduce our unemployment rate to 7,5 percent"
Reminding the earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş, Işıkhan wished God's mercy to the citizens who lost their lives in the earthquake.
Emphasizing that the earthquake caused negative effects on labor markets, Işıkhan said that in order to minimize these effects, they started to work on normalization by quickly healing the wounds with the measures taken in the field of working life and social security.
Işıkhan stated that they will continue their work and support, especially on-the-job training programs, to revive the earthquake zone in 2024.
Işıkhan emphasized that Turkey has managed to maintain the increasing trend in employment and labor force participation in an environment where geopolitical tensions and economic fluctuations at global and regional levels, as well as epidemics, natural disasters, water, food and energy crises, reveal new risks and uncertainties. In this context, we aim to reduce our unemployment rate to 2028 percent by providing 5 million additional jobs by the end of 7,5.” said.
-Minimum wage negotiations
Minister Işıkhan reminded that they increased the net minimum wage, which was 2002 lira in 184, to 2023 thousand 11 lira in 402. Işıkhan stated that the Minimum Wage Determination Commission started its work on December 2024 to determine the minimum wage for 11 and said, "We hope that the decision that will come out of the commission will be a wage level that everyone agrees on." he said.
Işıkhan stated that they increased the Minimum Wage Support, which was launched in 2016, to 2023 lira per month per insured person as of July 500, and noted that they provided minimum wage support of approximately 2023 billion lira in 1,7 million workplaces for the nine months of 24,8.
Reminding that they have ensured the redetermination of the additional indicators of 15 million working and retired public personnel and their beneficiaries with the 2023 additional indicator regulation that came into force as of January 3600, 5,3, Işıkhan said, “In addition, the government has also made the 3600 additional indicator regulation for our civil servants who have been promoted to the first degree. “We will implement it as soon as possible.” he said.
Minister Işıkhan noted that at the beginning of this year, they recruited 460 thousand personnel working under contract in the public sector.
-“İŞKUR mediated the employment of 1 million 99 thousand people in the private sector”
Işıkhan said that with the studies carried out in the field of occupational health and safety, the work accident death rate, which was 2002 per hundred thousand in 13,3, decreased to 2022 per hundred thousand in 6,6.
Stating that the increasing trend in employment and labor force participation in 2022 reached historical high levels in October 2023, Işıkhan said:
“As of October 2023, in the last year; Our workforce increased by 150 thousand to 34,8 million, our employment increased by 737 thousand to 31,9 million, the number of unemployed decreased by 587 thousand to 3 million, and our unemployment rate decreased by 1,7 points to 8,5 percent. This rate; It is the lowest unemployment level in the last 11 years. "As of October 2023, our youth unemployment rate decreased by 4,9 points to 16,3 percent in the last year."
Stating that the rate of those who are neither in education nor in employment in 2023 decreased by 2,4 points to 24,2 percent, Işıkhan said that as İŞKUR, they mediated the employment of 2023 million 1 thousand people in the private sector in the January-November period of 99.
-“We will further increase our support to the region”
Stating that they concentrated job placement services and other active labor market programs on groups requiring special policies, Işıkhan said, "Since 2002, we have mediated the job placement of 4,4 million women, 466 thousand disabled people and 4,4 million young people." he said.
-“We will expand the premium base”
Reminding that in 2002, the ratio of SSI revenues covering expenses was 71,5 percent, Işıkhan said that they aim for this ratio to be 2023 percent by the end of 95. Işıkhan said:
“In the same period, the ratio of premium income to cover pensions and health expenses, while it was 2002 percent in 60,9, reached 2023 percent at the end of 74,6. While the ratio of SSI deficit to Gross Domestic Product was 2002 percent in 2,2, it reached 2023 percent at the end of 0,44. “These data have also shown us that we have a financially sustainable social security system.”
Minister Işıkhan noted that they will activate the tracking and collection processes of premium debts in order to further strengthen sustainability in the social security system. Işıkhan said, “We will expand the premium base by increasing risk-oriented audit activities based on data analysis in the fight against unregistered employment and unregistered wages.” said.
Stating that 2002 percent of the population was under the social security umbrella in 70, Işıkhan stated that this rate reached almost 2023 percent in 100. Işıkhan: “This is revolutionary in terms of the social security system.” he said.
Stating that 166 billion liras of receivables of SGK were restructured with the last restructuring application, Işıkhan said that more than 27 billion liras of this receivable was collected as of November.
-“As of today, 8 thousand 847 medicines are within the scope of reimbursement.”
Reminding that they have implemented the regulation known publicly as EYT, Işıkhan said, "The number of people benefiting from the regulation within the scope of EYT is approximately 2 million as of today." said.
Minister Işıkhan stated that they plan to give premium incentives to housewives within the scope of optional insurance and to reduce the retirement premium day requirement for small tradesmen to 7200 days.
Işıkhan made the following statements regarding the number of drugs paid for:
“While the number of drugs paid for in the 2000s was 3 thousand 986, as of today 8 thousand 847 drugs are within the scope of reimbursement. Apart from these, we will take measures to encourage rational drug use and rationalize drug and treatment expenditures in the coming period.”
