SAHİM-Sen President Akarken: We consider the civil servant and retiree raises 'tragicomic'!
The raise rates for retiree and civil servant salaries, which Turkey was holding its breath for, have been announced. It was decided to increase SSK and BAĞ-KUR retiree pensions by 37.57 percent, and civil servant salaries and retired civil servant pensions by 49.25 percent.
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The civil servant and retiree raise has been determined. It was decided to increase SSK and BAĞ-KUR retiree pensions by 37.57 percent, and civil servant salaries and retired civil servant pensions by 49.25 percent. SAHİM-SEN President Özlem Akarken expressed her reaction by saying, “We consider the civil servant and retiree raises tragicomic. In an environment where the hunger threshold is 47 thousand TL, what are we even talking about?”
SAHİM-SEN PRESIDENT AKARKEN: ONE CANNOT MAKE A LIVING WITH THESE RAISES!
Making an assessment regarding the raises given to the salaries of retirees and civil servants, Health Services Union (SAHİM-SEN) President Özlem Akarken said, “According to TUIK data, inflation increased by 2.93 percent monthly in December 2023, and reached 64.77 percent on an annual basis. Following the announcement of the 6-month inflation data, the salary raise rate for civil servants and retirees has also become clear. The salaries of civil servants and retired civil servants will increase by 49.25 percent, while the salaries of workers and BAĞ-KUR retirees will increase by 37.5 percent. It is expected that a welfare share will be added to these rates.”
Stating that in light of all this information, the inflation rate announced by TUIK creates a serious handicap from the outset and does not reflect the reality, Akarken commented, “These raises are very, very insufficient. One cannot make a living with these raises.”
HUNGER THRESHOLD IS 47 THOUSAND TL
The Inflation Research Group (ENAG) announced its inflation data for December. According to ENAG data, the Consumer Price Index (E-CPI) increased by 4.12 percent in December. The increase in the E-CPI in 2023 was 127.21 percent. Referring to ENAG's data, SAHİM-SEN President Akarken said, “The data from TUIK does not overlap with the data from ENAG or the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce. Unfortunately, TUIK makes statements that are far from the real rates.”
Emphasizing the hunger threshold, Akarken said, “In this inflationary environment where the hunger threshold is 47 thousand TL, we consider these raises to be laughable. Not only have the promises made—such as the abolition of the Auxiliary Services Class and the granting of a 3600 supplementary indicator to everyone who reaches the first degree—not been kept, but while transportation allowances, meal allowances, rent subsidies should be provided to civil servants, and clothing allowances and on-call fees should be updated, it would be naive to expect working civil servants and retirees, especially health workers and healthcare personnel, to make a living with these raises. The fact that December inflation remained below expected rates in light of TUIK data is, to put it mildly, ironic. As SAHİM-SEN, we consider these developments tragicomic.”