Hunger line, poverty threshold for family of four spike in Turkey in November

Duvar English

Turkey's hunger line for a family of four spiked by 34 liras in November, while the sum of essential spending increased by 112 liras, as revealed by data from the Confederation of Turkish Trade Unions (Türk-İş).

The 34 lira spike put a family's hunger line over 2,516 liras, while the poverty threshold reached 8,197 liras. The poverty threshold for a family of four increased by almost thirty percent from November of 2019, spiking from 6,849 liras to 8,197 liras. 

The poverty threshold indicates the money needed for a family of four to feed itself sufficiently and healthily, and it also covers the expenditures on basic necessities such as clothing, rent, electricity, water, transportation, education and health.

Meanwhile, monthly living expenses for a single person totals 3,073 liras, nearly 50 percent over minimum wage.

The Family, Labor and Social Services Ministry's 15-person commission will start negotiations for 2021 minimum wages on Dec. 4 with the participation of five workers, five employers and five state officials. 

"The people with small and fixed incomes have no more room for compromise," said Türk-İş in their report. 

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