HDP proposes adjusting minimum wage in Turkey every 3 months

* Photo: Tüketici Postası

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The Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Economy Commission has submitted a legislative proposal foreseeing that the minimum wage be set in Turkey every three months instead of at the end of every year.

HDP Vice Co-Chair Responsible for the Economy and Diyarbakır MP Garo Paylan has made a statement about the party's proposal. Garo Paylan has noted that they, as the HDP, do not accept that "the minimum wage remains as a wage of misery throughout 2022."

Paylan has noted that it has been only 45 days since President and Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced that the minimum wage would be 4,253 Turkish Lira (TRY) in Turkey in 2022, recalling that "the same Erdoğan unveiled exorbitant increases in electricity and natural gas prices in the first minutes of 2022."

Raising concerns that the prices of fuel oil have also increased several times in this period, Paylan has said, "The prices of food and transport have also been significantly increased. In other words, wage increase has melted before minimum wage earners have it in their pockets," noting that Erdoğan has taken back a lot more than the wage increase that he gave to people.

Accordingly, Paylan has reiterated the HDP's proposal to make a legal amendment to set the minimum wage in Turkey every three months:

"The minimum wage has dropped to the starvation line and it will drop further in the upcoming months. With the legislative proposal we have submitted to the Parliament, we propose that the minimum wage is set every three months. The Parliament must take responsibility in favor of workers and laborers. If our legislative proposal is enacted as a law, the minimum wage will be set every three months and the losses incurred by minimum wage earners under high inflation conditions will be eliminated."

Minimum wage in Turkey over the years

Minimum wage is currently 4,253 TRY in Turkey.

Following the minimum wage talks last year, the minimum wage was increased by 21.56 percent. With this pay rise, the minimum wage was increased to 2,825.90 TRY for an unmarried worker.

After the minimum wage talks the year before, the minimum wage was increased by 15.03 percent, which was 3 points higher than the official consumer inflation rate announced by the TurkStat.

Accordingly, with this pay rise, the minimum wage was increased from 2,020.90 TRY to 2,234.70 TRY for an unmarried worker.

As for the net minimum wages in Turkey in the previous years, it was 1,603 TRY in 2018, 1,404 TRY in 2017 and 1,300 TRY in 2016. While the net minimum wage was 949 TRY as of January 2015, it was increased to 1,000 TRY as of July 2015. While the net minimum wage was 773 TRY and 803 TRY as of January and July 2013 respectively, it was then increased to 846 TRY as of January 2014 and to 891 TRY as of July 2014. (RT/SD)