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Minister of Family, Labor and Social Services Zehra Zümrüt Küçük has announced the minimum wage for 2019 as 2,020 Turkish Liras (~380 USD), speaking after the fourth meeting of the Minimum Wage Determining Commission held today (December 25).
The net minimum wage has been increased by 26,05 percent. The gross wage has become 2,558 Turkish Liras (~480 USD). Net minimum wage for a person married with at least three children is 2,155 liras.
The minimum wage in 2018 was 1,603 liras (~302 USD), with a 14,2 percent increase from the previous year.
TurkStat advised 1,841 liras for minimum wage
At the third meeting of the Minimum Wage Determining Commission, Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat), a government agency, advised a minimum wage of 2,213 liras for 'heavy' labor, 1,978 liras for 'medium' labor and 1,841 liras for 'light' labor.
Labor union says '2,000 liras at least', employers' union says '2,000 liras at most'
Confederation of Turkish Trade Unions (Türk-İş), working on the minimum wage on behalf of the workers, announced its expectation of the minimum wage as 2,000 liras at least and demanded that the increase in inflation rates and welfare share be added to the amount of the wage.
Turkish Confederation of Employer Associations (TİSK) Chair Kudret Önen said the top limit for them to accept is 2,000 liras.
DİSK demanded a net wage of 2,800 liras
Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey (DİSK) Chair Arzu Çerkezoğlu announced their demand of net minimum wage as 2,800 liras at a press conference on December 3.
Minimum wage is 2,200 liras in CHP-run municipalities
Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) said the net minimum wage should be 2,200 liras in 2019. The party's Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu said that in the municipalities which are run by the CHP, the minimum wage will be 2,200 liras. (HA/VK)