Public pay rise on gov’t 2014 agenda

ISTANBUL

A 3 percent pay rise in public wages and a 2.85 percent rise in retiree pensions are on the government’s 2014 policy agenda, along with other budgetary and social-oriented policies to be implemented.

The program has forecasted a rise of about 175 Turkish Liras in civil servant salaries in the coming year.

The unemployment rate is expected to increase by 0.1 percent to 9.4 percent, despite an estimated creation of 565,500 jobs for the economy. Inflation is set to settle at 5.3 percent for 2014, with government privatization initiatives expected to yield 7 billion liras in revenue.

Next year’s government agenda also places women in the spotlight, with a focus on female labor force participation by way of employment conditions, particularly regarding unpaid maternity leave. The disparity in unpaid maternity leave provisioned for in both the public and private sectors is set to be proportioned as part of a wider set of regulations targeted at removing workplace discrimination. The new policy reportedly seeks to uphold the rights of female employees to job security and the appropriate remuneration during and post maternity leave, within the scope a flexible working model that the government is said to have in the works.