DİSK-AR reveals: Retiree bonus has become pocket money
According to research results published by the Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey Research Center (DİSK-AR), the ratio of the retiree holiday bonus to the minimum wage, which was 62 percent in 2018, has fallen to 18 percent in 2024. Consequently, the retiree's loss relative to the minimum wage reached 15 thousand TL in 2024.
12punto
The Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey Research Center (DİSK-AR) has published research regarding retiree bonuses. The research noted that the Social Insurance and General Health Insurance Law No. 5510, enacted by the AKP Government in 2008, caused a significant decline in retiree pensions and income.
The research, which noted that bonuses were provided instead of salary increases to compensate for retirees' losses, stated that the retiree's bonus loss is at least 15 thousand TL. The retiree holiday bonus, which was set at 1,000 TL in 2018, was applied as 1,100 TL in 2021, 2 thousand TL in 2023, and 3 thousand TL in 2024.
The report, which stated that retirees' holiday bonuses have lost purchasing power against the minimum wage and rising inflation, examined how the bonuses eroded against inflation, food inflation, and the minimum wage between 2018 and 2024.
2024 LOSS RELATIVE TO MINIMUM WAGE...
The findings obtained from the report are as follows:
The loss of retiree holiday bonuses relative to the minimum wage is more than 15 thousand TL for 2024 alone!
According to food inflation, the purchasing power of retirees has fallen from 1,000 TL to 398 TL in the last 5 years.
According to official inflation, the purchasing power of the retiree holiday bonus has fallen from 1,000 TL to 517 TL in 5 years.
The ratio of the retiree holiday bonus to the minimum wage fell from 62 percent in 2018 to 18 percent in 2024.
While official inflation increased by 516 percent and official food inflation by 690 percent in the 6 years between 2018 and 2024, the retiree holiday bonus only increased by 200 percent to 3 thousand TL.
If the retiree holiday bonus had increased in line with official inflation, it should have been at least 6 thousand 163 TL; if it had increased in line with food inflation, it should have been at least 7 thousand 904 TL; and if it had increased in line with the minimum wage, it should have been at least 10 thousand 609 TL.
The retiree holiday bonus should be at least equal to the minimum wage. Retirees should be paid four minimum wage bonuses every year.