Starvation line tops minimum wage in Turkey

* Photo: Anadolu Agency (AA)

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According to the "Starvation and Poverty Line" survey of the Confederation of Turkish Trade Unions (Türk-İş), the food inflation has increased by 2.28 percent in May, when compared to April 2021.

The calculations have shown that while the starvation line has increased to 2,830 Turkish Lira (~330 USD), the poverty line has increased to 9,219 Turkish Lira (~1,000 USD). The monthly "living cost" of a single employee has been calculated as 3,435 lira (~400 USD).

'Unemployment undermines hopes for future'

The report of the Türk-İş has underlined that "in these days, when the agenda of the country has been frequently changing, the unchanged agenda of the employees is the 'difficulty in making ends meet'."

Referring to the increase in the fuel oil prices this month, the Türk-İş has estimated that this increase will have an effect on several basic goods and services, especially on food products, in the next months.

The confederation has raised concerns that "this development has undermined the purchasing power of wide swaths of society, primarily that of wage earners." The report has underlined that "especially the current broad unemployment keeps on undermining hopes for the future."

"Especially the developments in the employment of young people and women have a more profound effect," the confederation has noted adding, "The broad unemployment that could arise with the lifting of the lay-off ban will have negative effects on economic and social life."

The Türk-İş has emphasized that the protective payments such as the short time working allowance, which has been extended for three months, and money wage support have been insufficient.

9.82-percent increase in 5 months

According to the report, while the prices have increased by 9.28 percent in the first five months of 2021, the rate of increase in the last 12 months has been calculated as 16.07 percent by the confederation.

The report has noted that there has been no change in the prices of dairy products. However, the increase in the prices of meat, ground meat and chicken has continued. While the egg prices have dropped, the prices of legumes and offals have remained the same.

While the prices of bread, butter and sunflower oil have not changed, that of olive oil has increased. No change has been detected in the prices of honey, jam, molasse, sugar, salt and tomato paste. (HA/SD)