Ankara – The Minimum Wage Determination Commission (Asgari Ücret Tespit Komisyonu) convened without worker representatives as the Confederation of Turkish Trade Unions (Türk-İş) maintained its decision not to participate. Türk-İş submitted its demands to the Ministry in a sealed envelope; based on these requirements, the minimum wage was calculated to potentially rise to 39,525 Turkish Liras.
Türk-İş Boycotts Meeting, Commission Convenes Without Labor
Türk-İş followed through on a decision it made a year ago and did not attend the Minimum Wage Determination Commission. Consequently, the commission held its first meeting without the labor side, with the attendance of employer representatives and government bureaucrats. The commission's second meeting is scheduled to take place on December 18.
Demands Presented to Ministry in a Sealed Envelope
Minutes before the meeting, Türk-İş delivered its demands to Minister of Labor and Social Security Vedat Işıkhan in a sealed envelope. The letter, submitted by Türk-İş Vice President Ramazan Ağar, did not contain any numerical figure regarding the requested minimum wage or the rate of increase.
However, based on Türk-İş's general demands—such as fully reflecting inflation in wages and preserving the living standards—it was calculated that the minimum wage would need to increase to 39,525 TL.