TÜRK-İŞ says we are not in the commission, closes the door on the government's new proposal

The stance of TÜRK-İŞ has reached a critical point ahead of the Minimum Wage Determination Commission meeting, where all eyes are turned to determine the minimum wage. TÜRK-İŞ, which criticized the commission's structure last year as "not fair" and announced that it would not sit at the table with this structure, stated that there was no change in its decision despite the new proposal for the number of representatives from the government.

THE GOVERNMENT'S NEW PROPOSAL

Following the proposal by Minister of Labor and Social Security Vedat Işıkhan to reduce the number of government representatives in the commission from five to one, there was activity within TÜRK-İŞ. TÜRK-İŞ President Ergün Atalay called the Presidential Board to an emergency meeting.

Speaking at the headquarters before the meeting, Atalay emphasized that their position would not change unless an official decree was issued, saying, "We are at the same point until the official letter arrives."

"WE HAVE BEEN EXPLAINING OUR THOUGHTS FOR 11 MONTHS"

Stating that Minister Işıkhan visited the union the other day, Atalay expressed that the proposal regarding the number of government representatives was conveyed to them again during the meeting. Atalay recounted the meeting with these words:

"Mr. Vedat said, 'I am going to the Council of Ministers, what do you think?' We have been explaining our thoughts for 11 months, and we explained them again. It does not matter if the number of representatives is five, one, or three. The issue is that it is no longer possible to make a living with the minimum wage. This issue concerns not only us, but 30 items and approximately 30 million people."

"RENT AND FOOD MUST BE INCLUDED IN THE CALCULATION"

Ergün Atalay stated that their primary demand is for TÜİK data to reflect real living conditions. Saying that items such as rent, food, education, and transportation should be included in TÜİK's calculations, Atalay used the following expressions:

"What was the rent a year ago, what was the food, what was the transportation... Let the loss of all these in the minimum wage be revealed. Let TÜİK announce this every month. The minimum wage is no longer what its name implies; it has become a subsistence wage. It is not one person, but a family that lives on this money."

"WE ARE NOT AT THE TABLE THIS YEAR"

Atalay stated that although they were at the table in previous years, the results did not change, and the bad decisions were constantly blamed on the union. For this reason, he said they decided not to sit at the table this year:

"We have been at that table for four terms, and it still didn't happen. When it doesn't happen, the bill falls on us. This year we said, 'we are not there'."

"THE HARDSHIP OF THE MINIMUM WAGE EARNER AND THE RETIREE MUST BE SOLVED URGENTLY"

Expressing that it is becoming increasingly difficult to make a living with the minimum wage, Atalay called on the government:

"The nation is aggrieved. The priority is the hardship of the minimum wage earner and the retiree. I have to state the problems of this country," he said.

Stating that the change in the number of members in the commission would not change the result, Atalay concluded his words as follows:

"Whether the government representative is one, three, or five... I don't think it will make a difference. These decisions concern 50 items. It will be the same as it has been for years. No matter which government comes, they will be involved in this business."