Minimum Wages Amendment Bill tabled: lodging and food offset for foreign workers

An amendment that closely concerns working life in North Cyprus is on the agenda. The Minimum Wages (Amendment) Bill has been published in the Official Gazette by the Assembly for public information. It is not yet law: within twenty days of publication, concerned real and legal persons may submit written opinions to the Assembly Presidency.

What changes, in brief

The bill aims to close the cost gap between local workers, who meet all their own expenses, and foreign workers who receive lodging and food from their employer. Employers of foreign nationals brought from countries without a labour agreement with the TRNC would be able to offset lodging and food against the minimum wage by up to 40% in total (15% lodging and 25% food), provided this is stated in a written Life Support Service Contract.

The bill also adds definitions for Nutrition, Lodging and the Life Support Service Contract, preserves equal pay for equal work, and sets fines and imprisonment for employers who break the rules.

Full text and official documents are in our Law section

The clause by clause explanation, how the offset is calculated, and the official state PDFs you can download directly are gathered in the Law section of our Info Hub. If you are an employer or an employee, do review them.

For the details and official PDF documents: Minimum Wages (Amendment) Bill: full text and official documents