Minimum wage commission set to hold second meeting

ISTANBUL

The commission that is tasked with determining the minimum wage for 2023 is scheduled to hold its second round of meetings on Dec. 14.

The Minimum Wage Commission, which includes government officials and representatives of labor union Türk-İş and the Turkish Confederation of Employers’ Association (TİSK), gathered for the first time on Dec. 7.

A recent survey carried out by the Labor and Social Security Ministry found that the public expects the new minimum wage will be 7,845 Turkish Liras.

The minimum wage was increased by 30 percent to a net of 5,500 Liras ($295) in July. The increase came on top of the 50 percent hike in January, which brought the minimum wage to a net of 4,250 liras.

Türk-İş is only open to negotiating a minimum wage above 7,785 liras, which, according to research by our experts, is the hunger threshold [for a family of four], said Ergün Atalay, the president of the labor union.

“Presently, we do not have a formal proposal as to what the new minimum wage should be. What we do is mention the hunger threshold. We first want to see the offer from the employers’ side and the government’s proposal. Then we will announce our offer,” Atalay said.

The commission is made up of five members from the government and five representatives from the workers’ union and employers each, but workers who receive the minimum wage should be at the negotiating table, Atalay also said.