Minimum wage bleeding wound

CEM YILDIRIM/ANKARA

Speaking to SÖZCÜ after the Confederation of Revolutionary Workers’ Unions of Turkey (DİSK) demanded a minimum wage of TL 13,200, DİSK Central Anatolia Region representative Tayfun Görgün said: “Turkey does not meet the criteria to calculate the minimum wage. Equity is needed in the tax brackets above the minimum wage. The minimum wage, which worries millions of people, is now a bleeding wound,” he said.

Görgün continued as follows: “The course of the economy is worrying in Turkey because the current problems continue to increase rather than decrease. The main problem in our country is the excessive increase in foreign currency and the inability to control inflation. Life goes on in a really problematic way because of the high price hikes and the constant hikes.”

‘PURCHASING POWER IS CONTINUOUSLY DECREASING’

Görgün said that the workers agreed to work in worse conditions for fear of being fired, “They are paid less. The purchasing power of employees and retirees continues to decline. Turkey is now having a hard time paying its debts. The economic balances of companies and factories are deteriorating rapidly”.

Görgün said: “Turkstat tries to base inflation figures on the minimum wage while determining the minimum wage, while we see that TurkStat has underestimated inflation in recent years,” Görgün said. Every year, we are faced with an increase in the minimum wage that is below the increase in inflation.

Görgün also claimed that there was another mistake in determining the minimum wage, saying: “According to international standards, the Labor Organization (ILO) has rules. There is the European Social Charter. Turkey does not meet these criteria. There are also high tax brackets, which should be reduced. The minimum wage is already insufficient, and tax justice must be provided. The minimum wage enters the high tax brackets after 4-5 months.”