The latest increase in the minimum wage (30 September) is 4,324 TL, which falls below the poverty line, the Cyprus Turkish Public Officials Union KTAMS has said, Yeniduzen reported
According to KTAMS, the minimum salary required to feed, clothe and house a family of four was 4,470 TL as of the same date.
The union said, “It is vital to make the necessary legal arrangements so that the minimum wage earners can also benefit from the cost of living allowance automatically”.
When calculating the minimum salary required, only the cost of essential food purchases are taken as a basis. Given that people have needs other than nutrition, a general decline in purchasing power is ongoing because of inflation.
According to official figures, inflation was 2.08% in September, 7.01% in the last three months, 16.46% in the last 9 months, and 21.01% in one year.
Fuel Price Hikes
The government increased the cost of fuel by 49 kurus yesterday, meaning that the hike in fuel prices will have a knock on effect on the price of many goods and services, the union said.
These ruthless price hikes introduced by the government will lead to misery, particularly for those on low and fixed incomes KTAMS said.
