Minimum wage unchanged: 35,180 TL remained by majority vote

The minimum wage determined by the Minimum Wage Determination Commission as 40,436 TL gross and 35,180 TL net per month at its meeting on September 18 will be published in the Official Gazette today and will be valid as of September 1. Speaking at the beginning of the meeting that started at 10.45 in the Meeting Hall of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, Minister of Labor and Social Security Sadık Gardiyanoğlu pointed out the objection made after the determination of the third minimum wage of 2024. Gardiyanoğlu stated that they met to discuss the objection made by the employer side with their reasons and noted that it was said that the main issue was not about the figure but the high prices experienced in the country. Gardiyanoğlu, who stated that taking measures to prevent the cost of living more quickly is as important as balancing salaries, stated that Prime Minister Ünal Üstel will announce the measures to be taken in this regard to the press. Alp: “Employers are at the point of exhaustion” Speaking on behalf of the employers, Cypriot Turkish Employers Union Representative Alp Cengiz Alp stated that conducting the fight against inflation through wages has brought the employers to the “point of exhaustion”. Noting that inflation is related to the price of all products in the country, Alp stated that since the food standard has not been determined correctly for four years, cumulative inflation has been added to the minimum wage, and this has created an inextricable situation. Stating that the economy should be considered as a whole, Alp expressed that the TRNC is a service export country. Expressing that the advantage in competition has been lost due to the increase in the minimum wage, Alp stated that putting all increases in goods and services on the employer’s shoulders every 3-4 months has created an unpayable wage. Alp noted that the point reached will create another crisis in the next 6 months, and said that their objections are both to the system and the government's "incompetent and incompetent attitude". Alp stated that they still have not received the data they requested to sit at the table, and that the necessary ground has not been created for them to discuss this figure, and therefore they said no to this fee. Alp provided information on the gross national incomes of Turkey and the EU in foreign currency, and noted that they said no to the increase. Serdaroğlu: "Wouldn't a 13 percent increase in electricity disrupt competition?" Speaking on behalf of the workers' side, Hür-İş Federation President Ahmet Serdaroğlu criticized the constant comparison of figures in foreign currency. Serdaroğlu stated that the 4-month food cost of living was calculated as 19.69, and that when viewed from this perspective, an increase should actually be made based on 19.69, not 19.19. Ahmet Serdaroğlu asked that they also know that the market needs to be made cheaper, as the employers say, but what kind of pressure those who say this put on the government to make life cheaper. Serdaroğlu also asked, “Wouldn’t a 13 percent increase in electricity prices disrupt competition? Wouldn’t it disrupt competition when taxes are donated to those who have to pay taxes?” and noted that they were silent about these issues. Serdaroğlu also asked, “Why don’t you speak up? Will your work be prevented?” and expressed that they are ready to join hands with employers and fight against the government, which they consider to be “incompetent.” Serdaroğlu stated that it is necessary to take a united stand against the government and stated that it is clear that there is a very serious tax evasion. Serdaroğlu asked, “We are ready to do our part for justice, are the employers ready?” and emphasized that if they are ready, they are ready to act together on issues such as tax justice and the informal economy. Serdaroğlu also emphasized that it is not enough to look at food prices alone when calculating the cost of living, and that health and education expenses should also be taken into account, along with expenses such as energy and accommodation.