ANKARA (CIHAN) - The commission set up to determine the minimum wage today held its second meeting to determine the minimum wage in Turkey for the period from July 1 to December 31, 2004 but failed to reach an agreement.
The commission that has convened to determine the minimum wage in Turkey for the period from July 1 to December 31, 2004 will again convene on June 23 for the third time. Is is expected that the commission will take the final decision concerning the minimum wage at the fourth meeting in the end of June.
The minimum wage for January 1 and June 30, 2004 was gross 423 million Turkish Liras and net 303 million TL for the workers who are over 16 years old, while the minimum wage for the workers who are below 16 years old was gross 360 million TL and net 257 million 940 thousands TL.
Employers want no increase to the minimum wage due to the current increase in the foreign exchange, while workers want it to be increased to the minimum wage of the minimum government salary. It is not expected to be a high increase because the IMF delegation does not look at a minimum wage increase warmly.
The 15-member commission set up to determine the minimum wage includes five people from the Turk-Is representing workers, five people from the Turkish Confederation of Employers' Unions (TÝSK) representing employers and five people from the Turkish Government. The first meeting of the commission was held on May 28 but failed to reach an agreement.