Turkey’s new minimum wage to be decided this week
Turkish Labor Minister Vedat Işıkhan announced that the minimum wage for 2025 would be determined this week. Due to the harsh depreciation of the lira, current wage eroded by $95 throughout the year.
Duvar English
Labor and Social Security Minister Vedat Işıkhan on Dec. 23 stated that the ongoing collective bargaining process for Turkey’s 2025 minimum wage, which will impact millions of workers, has been expected to conclude within the week.
Following a cabinet meeting, Minister Işıkhan told reporters that the minimum wage commission would hold its final meeting on Dec. 26-27 to conclude the minimum wage discussions.
The minimum wage is determined by the Minimum Wage Determination Commission, which consists of 15 members—five each representing workers, employers, and the government. Decisions are made by a majority vote.
The employer side was represented by the Turkish Confederation of Employer Associations (TİSK) while the worker side represented by the Confederation of Turkish Trade Unions (TÜRK-İŞ).
For 2024, the minimum wage was set at 17,002 Turkish lira net with a 49 percent increase.
TİSK was reportedly preparing to propose a wage increase of 25–30 percent whereas TÜRK-İŞ announced that they demanded 29,583 liras ($842), a 74 percent increase from the current minimum wage.
The current net minimum wage has fallen below the hunger threshold since April and has not been adjusted for inflation throughout the year.
According to the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK), annual inflation exceeded 47 percent as of November, effectively eroding the minimum wage by the same percentage over the past 11 months.
When it was first announced, the minimum wage was equal to $578. Due to the harsh depreciation of the lira, it eroded by $95 throughout the year.