The Union of Nurses and Midwives criticized the minimum wage decision in the TRNC

On January 10, the Turkish Cypriot Union of Nurses and Midwives in the TRNC announced a protest in connection with the decision of the Minimum Wage Determination Commission to apply a cost-of-living allowance of 18.39% to the minimum wage.

In a statement, union chairman Ali Yözgöçmen pointed out that at the same time an allowance of 21.66% was fully applied to the salaries of members of parliament, ministers, all civil servants, state pensioners and political appointees. According to him, identical economic conditions should not result in different percentage increases for different groups.

Yözgöçmen emphasized that the cost of living is rising across all key areas — food markets, rent, electricity, fuel and basic consumer goods — and that this affects the entire society equally. In his view, the commission’s decision violates the constitutionally enshrined principle of equality and worsens the purchasing power of minimum-wage workers.

The union also noted that private sector employees were the direct victims of the decision, including 800 nurses and midwives, and called on the government to reconsider the decision in the interests of social justice.