HAK-İŞ proposes Germany model for minimum wage reform

HAK-İŞ President Mahmut Arslan has proposed a restructuring of the Minimum Wage Determination Commission in Turkey, suggesting the adoption of a “Germany model” ahead of the December negotiations.

Arslan criticized the current commission structure as undemocratic and unfair in its representation. Under his proposed model, worker and employer representatives would negotiate under the chairmanship of an arbitrator, with the government acting as the entity that announces the agreed-upon figure rather than being a direct negotiating party.

Arslan warned that if the commission is not restructured to be more inclusive and democratic, labor representatives may refuse to participate in the upcoming sessions. He noted that HAK-İŞ supports the previous decision by TÜRK-İŞ to withdraw from commission meetings due to these structural concerns. He emphasized that the current minimum wage has lost value against inflation and that a consensus-based approach is essential for the resulting wage to be accepted by millions of workers.