Activity in retiree pension hikes... Claims of flat-rate increases stir Ankara corridors: Calculations back to square one

Following the announcement of November inflation data by the Turkish Statistical Institute, salary increase calculations for retirees and civil servants have begun to take shape.

With the announcement of December figures, the rate of increase for retiree pensions will be finalized.

SGK expert İsa Karakaş, in a statement to TGRT Haber, said that the increase rate for SSK and Bağ-Kur retirees has risen from 10.25 percent to 11.21 percent.

It was stated that for civil servants and civil servant retirees, the increase rate, including the collective bargaining agreement difference, has reached 17.57 percent.

Karakaş also shared the new status of the lowest salaries:

Lowest SSK–Bağ-Kur retiree: 18,773 TL if the government makes an additional improvement

Lowest civil servant retiree: 26,653 TL with collective bargaining difference, including a 1,000 TL base salary increase

Lowest civil servant salary including family allowance: 62,280 TL

Conveying the situation discussed in political circles, Karakaş stated that claims of a flat-rate increase have returned to the agenda:

“According to insider information, retirees cannot be at ease without a flat-rate increase. This issue has flared up again in Ankara and has entered the government's agenda.”

The statement pointed out that civil servant retirees have not received a flat-rate increase for a long time, emphasizing that economic program targets make this step difficult.

FLAT-RATE INCREASE SCENARIO ON THE TABLE

Karakaş also explained how salaries would be shaped in the event of a flat-rate increase:

SSK–Bağ-Kur retiree: Could exceed 36 thousand TL

Civil servant retiree: Could exceed 40 thousand TL

This picture has increased retiree expectations and strengthened the activity in Ankara's corridors.

Regarding salary equalization, another issue retirees are curious about, Karakaş stated that it is not viewed favorably during this period:

“SSK–Bağ-Kur retirees are asking, ‘Will there be an equalization for us?’ It existed in 2023, but unfortunately, it is not on the agenda for this period.”

While November inflation and the collective bargaining difference largely determine the increase rates, the flat-rate increase scenario emerging in Ankara's corridors has raised the expectations of millions of retirees.