TÜRK-İŞ Board of Presidents announced the minimum wage demand for 2025. TÜRK-İŞ President Ergün Atalay said, “As minimum wage workers, our suggestion is to add 20 percent welfare share to 29 thousand 583 TL on top of 45 percent inflation. The increase will not be feasible without adding welfare share to inflation.”
Atalay stated that they would not sign a decision on numbers below this figure.
TÜRK-İŞ President Ergün Atalay’s statements are as follows:
We have been experiencing the minimum wage adventure that has been going on for 19 days. We identified our fellow workers before the meetings began. We held our 5th meeting today. In the past, there were unionists at the table. We had a meeting in the morning. Unfortunately, there is a demand from the public to disclose a figure about us. There’s nothing easier than that. We would announce a number and not be on the agenda. The public asked why TÜRK-İŞ did not explain. The first priority is with the employer. They need to say it. The government is in charge. There is an anti-democratic minimum wage structure. In this structure, the labor union with the most members is represented, as required by law. Our 4 worker friends are in charge here. We have been waiting for a figure regarding the minimum wage here until today. There are 5 representatives of the government, 5 representatives of the employer, and we have 5 friends at the table. 2024 has been a difficult year. That’s what happened in 2023. We will talk about the minimum wage here, public workers, all workers are paid at the minimum wage level.
The minimum wage was a determination wage 5 years ago, but now it has become a living wage in our country. Minimum wage concerns the private sector. We signed it 6 times in the last 30 years, other than that, we did not sign the minimum wage together at the table. The increase in rent and natural gas in the country is obvious. Fruit and vegetable prices and education expenses are obvious. Currently, the minimum wage has dropped to 11 thousand lira. Purchasing power is around 11 thousand lira. For him, the minimum wage became a living wage. We were hoping that this issue would end today. Our friends said that employers and the government do not give a figure. Figures are expected from us. We have come to such a point that they continue to make statements that discredit us, including faculty members. Maybe people who have never known minimum wage in their lives.
I have figures of 50 thousand liras, 36 thousand liras, 32 thousand liras and 28 thousand liras. Here you also know your own situations. Currently, Mr. Mehmet Şimşek says that the country is doing well. If it’s going well, minimum wage has become a living wage. Announce a good living wage and we’ll all be happy. The purchasing power of retirees, minimum wage earners and public workers also decreased. We have been talking and holding rallies for 5 months. Let the parties gather 150 thousand people, let’s see. Discrediting unions does no one any good.
“DEMAND IS 29 THOUSAND 583 TL”
As minimum wage workers, our suggestion is to add 20 percent welfare share to 45 percent inflation and make it 29 thousand 583 TL. The increase will not be viable without adding a welfare share to inflation.
