Wage talks for millions of workers near conclusion

ISTANBUL

A commission of workers, employers and government representatives will meet for the last time on Dec. 26 or Dec. 27 to conclude talks on the minimum wage, Labor and Social Security Minister Vedat Işıkhan has said.

The 15-member commission — which includes labor union Türk-İş, the Turkish Confederation of Employer Associations (TİSK) and government officials — launched negotiations on Dec. 10 to decide about the minimum wage for more than 7 million workers, which will take effect in 2025.

The commission has held three inconclusive meetings since then.

Last week, Türk-İş demanded the minimum wage be raised from the current 17,000 Turkish Liras to 29,583 liras (around $810).

The union’s proposal is based on the expected inflation rate of 45 percent at the end of 2024 and additional 20 percent welfare share.

The employers’ union does not approve the offer tabled by Türk-İş, state-run news service Anadolu Agency reported last week. However, the employers side has not yet made its proposal public.

The talks are closely watched by all segments of society as the minimum wage level and how much it is raised set a benchmark for other employees and impact companies’ costs.

Currently, the total cost of the minimum wage to the employer is 23,503 liras for a worker. Of this, 20,000 liras is the gross minimum wage, 3,100 liras is the social security premium and 400 liras is the employer’s contribution to the unemployment insurance fund.