KTAMS announced that the hunger limit for a family of 4 is 9 thousand 675 TL. Bengihan stated that the minimum wage was still below the hunger limit and noted that the difference increased to 1,755 TL.
Cyprus Turkish Public Officials Union (KTAMS) announced that as of August 31, the hunger limit for a family of 4 is 9 thousand 675 TL.
KTAMS President Güven Bengihan stated that the minimum wage was still below the hunger limit and noted that the difference increased to 1075 TL.
In his written statement, Bengihan stated that a report was prepared by taking into account the nutritional pattern required for a healthy nutrition of a family of 4, obtained from the Inpatient Treatment Institutions Department of the Ministry of Health, and the prices sent to the union by the Statistical Institute.
Accordingly, Bengihan stated that the hunger limit for a family of 4 was calculated as 9 thousand 675 TL as of August 31, and continued as follows:
“The amount of compulsory food expenditure that an adult woman should make for a healthy diet is 81.98 TL per day, 2 thousand 459.40 TL per month; 86.63 TL per day for an adult man, 2 thousand 598.90 TL per month; 91.79 TL per day for children aged 15-19, 2 thousand 753.70 TL per month; and 62.09 TL per day for children aged 4-6, 1 thousand 862.70 TL per month.”
Reiterating that the monthly food expenditure required for a family of 4 to be healthy, balanced and adequately fed is 9,675 TL, Bengihan noted that despite the recent increase, the minimum wage remains below the hunger limit.
“HIGH PRICES BROKEN THE PEOPLE’S WAIST”
Bengihan stated that according to the official figures of the Statistical Institute, inflation was 3.31 percent in August 2022, 13.62 percent in the last two months (July, August), 70.38 percent in the last 8 months, and 118.18 percent in one year.
Especially the high rate hikes in electricity, fuel, bottled gas, bread, milk and dairy products have almost bent the back of the people,” he said.
Reminding that the 56.76 percent cost of living that occurred in the first 6 months of 2022 was not reflected in the minimum wage despite the persistent demands of the unions.
KTAMS President Bengihan said that their demands were made to make legal arrangements to increase the cost of living to the minimum wage, update the minimum wage determination criteria and to approve the Minimum Wage Determination Commission.
Güven Bengihan said, “Moreover, the legal regulation that will enable unionization in the private sector should be sent to the Parliament as soon as possible in order to prevent the exploitation of private sector employees at the mercy of the bosses.”
Bengihan stated that the public officials employed within the scope of the Law No. 47/2010 on the Regulation of the Monthly (Salary-Wage) and Other Allowances of Public Employees, which is described as the “Immigration Law”, due to the fact that tax brackets are not opened and personal exemptions and special discounts are not updated, also experience great grievances in terms of salaries.
He noted that the salaries should be equalized with the increases to be made within the framework of the calendar to be determined in order to eliminate the grievances.