Unable to find a qualified worker to work for a daily wage of 2,000 TL, he took the shovel in hand and went to the furnace.

Hilmi Kara, who has been baking in the Antakya district of Hatay for 25 years, continues to work himself because he cannot find skilled workers despite offering a daily wage of 2,000 TL.

Hilmi Kara, who has been operating a bakery and butcher shop in the Saraycık neighborhood of Antakya for 25 years, has been searching for workers for the bakery section for months. Kara, who has changed 6 bakers in the last few months, stated that the bakers quit after working for a week because they did not like the working hours and daily wages. Complaining about not being able to find qualified workers, Kara continues to work himself because he cannot find skilled workers despite offering daily wages between 1,500 TL and 2,000 TL.

“When workers ask for exorbitant prices, the work falls to us”

Stating that he started working in the bakery after workers demanded exorbitant prices, Kara said, “I am a business owner with 25 years of experience. Due to the personnel shortage we are experiencing, we are doing our own work. We cannot find employees for either the butcher or the bakery. This is generally a problem for tradespeople. The new young generation is not turning to trades and is only concerned with making easy money. When workers ask for exorbitant prices, the work falls to us. We are doing the jobs ourselves. In the last few months, 5 or 6 workers have left the bakery job. Workers do not like the working system, wages, and hours. The exorbitant wages they demand do not match the work we do. That’s why they do not work.”

“Despite offering daily wages between 1,500 TL and 2,000 TL, we cannot find proper and qualified staff”

Kara stated that despite offering a daily wage of 2,000 TL, he cannot find workers to work in the bakery, saying, “We pay between 1,500 TL and 2,000 TL daily. We cannot satisfy the workers regarding money, and they want more. The workers’ expectation is between 2,000 TL and 3,000 TL. In other words, they want to earn more than us. It varies according to the bakeries; our bakery is not difficult. We can’t even finish a sack of flour in the bakery section in a day. The money we pay is still too much compared to the work we do. Despite offering daily wages between 1,500 TL and 2,000 TL, we cannot find proper and qualified staff. We cannot find permanent staff. They work for a week and then leave.”