Warning about regionalization of minimum wage in Turkey; Risk of increased youth migration

Service Turkey - A possible plan to determine the minimum wage based on different regions of Turkey has become one of the topics of interest in the country; a plan according to which the wage amount will differ according to the cost of living and economic conditions of each region, but representatives of labor unions warn that the implementation of such a model could lead to increased inequality, aggravation of economic problems and migration of young people from underprivileged regions to big cities.

According to Kurdistan, Gökhan Günaydin, Deputy Chairman of the Republican People's Party (CHP), making a claim about the possibility of determining the regional minimum wage, announced that the government may determine the wage amount based on the economic conditions and cost of living in each region.Trade union representatives oppose the idea, insisting that the minimum wage should be the same throughout the country and at least reach the level of the hunger line.

“Today, nearly 15 million people in this country have to work with the minimum wage. This wage is only half of the hunger line, and this in itself is a big problem,” said Zulkifli Güneş, secretary general of the Turkish Teachers’ Union.

“If the minimum wage changes from region to region, it will cause injustice and deepen and widen the problems,” he added.

Güneş stressed that the right solution is for all Turkish citizens to have a wage that allows them to cover their living expenses, and the minimum wage should reach the level of the hunger line.Potential increase in youth migration from eastern regions

The minimum wage is currently the same throughout Turkey and Turkish Kurdistan and is set at 28,750 liras per month, while the hunger line has reached 36,940 liras.

If the plan in question is implemented, it is likely that the minimum wage will be set higher in metropolitan cities and regions with a higher cost of living than in small towns.

Mehmet Kaya, head of the Diyarbakır Chamber of Commerce and Industry, warned about the consequences of such a plan, saying that setting wages based on regions could lead to an increase in youth migration from eastern Turkey and Turkish Kurdistan.

Kaya stated: “If the minimum wage is set based on regions, meaning that wages are higher in western metropolitan cities and lower in eastern cities, youth migration from the region will increase."

He added: "Everyone will think that wages are higher in Istanbul and Ankara and will go to these cities. In this way, we will lose our youth."

Annual determination of the minimum wage in Turkey

In Turkey, every year in December, a committee consisting of 15 representatives of labor unions and the government conducts negotiations on determining the minimum wage for the next year and determines the final wage level.

The opposition of union representatives to the regionalization of the minimum wage comes at a time when the gap between the cost of living and wage levels in different regions of Turkey remains one of the country's most important economic and social issues.

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