[Turkey] Gap between minimum wage and starvation line almost disappeared

The Confederation of Turkish Trade Unions (Türk-İş) has shared the January results of the "Starvation and Poverty Line Survey" it regularly conducts to shed light on the conditions under which citizens make ends meet, BİANET reports.

The survey demonstrated that in January 2022 the gap between the minimum wage and the starvation line almost completely disappeared.

According to the findings of the Türk-İş survey, the amount of minimum monthly food expenditure to be made by a family of four for a healthy, balanced and adequate diet (starvation line) is 4,249 Turkish Lira (TRY). Turkey’s current minimum wage is 4,253 TRY.

The expenditures made by a family of four for food, clothing, housing (rent, electricity, water and fuel), transportation, education, healthcare, etc. (the poverty line) amount to 13,843 TRY, Türk-İş said.

The findings of the Confederation also reportedly revealed that the "cost of living" of a single employee has increased to 5,587 TRY.

In December 2021, Türk-İş data indicated that the starvation line stood at 4,013 TRY in Turkey while the poverty line stood at 13,072 TRY and the "cost of living" of a single worker stood at 4,926 TRY.

Price hikes top of public agenda

In its January 2022 report, the Confederation said that "even though there was a sharp fall in foreign exchange rates following the introduction of the foreign exchange-protected Turkish lira deposit scheme in December, the lira has started losing value again."

Noting that there was a general increase in food prices in December, the Türk-İş said that in the surveyed period there has been a drop in the prices of some products while there has been no change in some.

Referring to "the almost 25-per cent increase in food prices in the last month following the record high exchange rates", the Confederation of Turkish Trade Unions has underlined that "the appreciation of the Turkish lira has almost no positive effect on markets and bazaars."

"The most important issue on the public agenda was once again the successive increases in prices," the Türk-İş said, adding:

"As a result of the increases in the prices of fuel oil, electricity, natural gas and public transport, it has become all the more difficult for workers and their families, whose biggest and usually the only source of income is the minimum wage, to make ends meet with the minimum wage."

The Confederation emphasised that while the minimum food expenditures of a family of four in the capital city of Ankara increased by 3.71 per cent in January 2022 when compared to the previous month, the price increase in the last 12 months is 59.67 per cent. The Türk-İş highlighted the fact that even the price of a litre of milk has increased to 12 TRY over this period.

The minimum food expenditure for a male adult has increased to 1,290 lira, for a woman 998 lira, for a child aged 15-19 to 1,273 lira and for a child aged 4-6 it has increased to 686 lira.

Source: BİANET

(Quotes via original reporting)

The Confederation of Turkish Trade Unions (Türk-İş) has shared the January results of the "Starvation and Poverty Line Survey" it regularly conducts to shed light on the conditions under which citizens make ends meet, BİANET reports.

The survey demonstrated that in January 2022 the gap between the minimum wage and the starvation line almost completely disappeared.

According to the findings of the Türk-İş survey, the amount of minimum monthly food expenditure to be made by a family of four for a healthy, balanced and adequate diet (starvation line) is 4,249 Turkish Lira (TRY). Turkey’s current minimum wage is 4,253 TRY.

The expenditures made by a family of four for food, clothing, housing (rent, electricity, water and fuel), transportation, education, healthcare, etc. (the poverty line) amount to 13,843 TRY, Türk-İş said.

The findings of the Confederation also reportedly revealed that the "cost of living" of a single employee has increased to 5,587 TRY.

In December 2021, Türk-İş data indicated that the starvation line stood at 4,013 TRY in Turkey while the poverty line stood at 13,072 TRY and the "cost of living" of a single worker stood at 4,926 TRY.

Price hikes top of public agenda

In its January 2022 report, the Confederation said that "even though there was a sharp fall in foreign exchange rates following the introduction of the foreign exchange-protected Turkish lira deposit scheme in December, the lira has started losing value again."

Noting that there was a general increase in food prices in December, the Türk-İş said that in the surveyed period there has been a drop in the prices of some products while there has been no change in some.

Referring to "the almost 25-per cent increase in food prices in the last month following the record high exchange rates", the Confederation of Turkish Trade Unions has underlined that "the appreciation of the Turkish lira has almost no positive effect on markets and bazaars."

"The most important issue on the public agenda was once again the successive increases in prices," the Türk-İş said, adding:

"As a result of the increases in the prices of fuel oil, electricity, natural gas and public transport, it has become all the more difficult for workers and their families, whose biggest and usually the only source of income is the minimum wage, to make ends meet with the minimum wage."

The Confederation emphasised that while the minimum food expenditures of a family of four in the capital city of Ankara increased by 3.71 per cent in January 2022 when compared to the previous month, the price increase in the last 12 months is 59.67 per cent. The Türk-İş highlighted the fact that even the price of a litre of milk has increased to 12 TRY over this period.

The minimum food expenditure for a male adult has increased to 1,290 lira, for a woman 998 lira, for a child aged 15-19 to 1,273 lira and for a child aged 4-6 it has increased to 686 lira.

Source: BİANET

(Quotes via original reporting)