Trilateral Advisory Committee discusses the fate of the Minimum Wage Commission

ANKARA - The Ministry of Labor and Social Security has taken a critical step ahead of minimum wage negotiations. Following the first meeting on October 9, the Ministry brought together the Triple Advisory Board again, this time with the direct agenda of "minimum wage". At today's meeting, the parties are expected to discuss the structure and working style of the Minimum Wage Determination Commission ahead of the minimum wage negotiations for 2026, which begin in December.

The main reason for this extraordinary meeting is the harsh boycott decisions by Turk-İş and Hak-İş, the country's largest labor confederations.

Turkish-Is and Hak-Is Boycott Decision on the Agenda

Harshly criticizing the minimum wage set last year, Türk-İş President Ergün Atalay said in a statement on December 25, 2024 that the commission was unfair:

"Unfortunately, we stood in an unfair commission for 50 years. Unless a fair arrangement is made after this time, we, as Türk-İş, will not participate in the Minimum Wage Determination Commission again."

Hak-İş President Mahmut Arslan also emphasized the need to change the structure of the commission in a statement on October 27, 2025 and confirmed their decision not to participate in the 2026 negotiations.

This resolute stance by workers' representatives has forced the Ministry to convene the Tripartite Advisory Board to re-evaluate the functioning of the Commission. The meeting is expected to focus on possible structural changes to ensure labor participation.

How the Minimum Wage Determination Commission Works

The 15-member Minimum Wage Determination Commission is composed of five representatives each from the labor, employer and government sides, as required by law. Decisions are taken with the participation of at least 10 members and by majority vote. Under the current system, in the event of an equality of votes, the vote of the side with the Chair of the Commission (the member designated by the Ministry) counts as a majority, leaving workers' side with little chance of being decisive. The confederations' reaction is based on this structural injustice.

Current Minimum Wage Data

The current minimum wage figures before the start of negotiations are as follows:

• Gross Minimum Wage: 26,005.50 TL

• Net Minimum Wage: 22,104.67 TL

• Total Cost to Employer: 30.621,48 TL

The outcome of this critical meeting will determine whether the labor side will return to the minimum wage negotiating table and whether there will be a fundamental change in the composition of the Commission.