Report:
Citizens who are members of the All Pensioners Union gathered in Izmir Konak and organized an action to protest low pensions and the latest increase. The retirees expressed their dissatisfaction by chanting slogans such as “Take advantage of the AKP raise”, “It’s not a charity, it’s a collective bargaining agreement”, “We will win by resisting”, and called out to the government by saying “We don’t want to live under the hunger line”.
“MUST BE BROUGHT TO MINIMUM WAGE LEVEL”:
Saadet Erkuş, speaking on behalf of all Pensioners’ Union Izmir branches, stated that the recent increases were considered election bribes and were not accepted by the union. She argued that the government’s promise to increase the minimum pension to 7500 lira was a tactic to gain votes and divide the retirees, whose legitimate demands have been ignored for years. She further criticized the raise, stating that it would result in the salaries of retirees who have paid high premiums throughout their careers to be reduced to the lowest pension level. She emphasized that the priority should be to bring the lowest pension to the minimum wage level.
“THE GOVERNMENT IS MOCKING THE PENSIONERS”:
Retirees demanded an increase in the 2,000 TL bonus announced by the AKP government. They argued that when determining pensions, only the inflation figures provided by TÜİK, which do not reflect the actual cost of living, are taken into account, causing the retiree’s salary to decrease to almost half of the minimum wage. They called for a salary increase that would enable all retirees to live decently. The retirees criticized the government for mocking them by announcing that the bonus amount would be 2,000 lira, when the previously paid amount was only 1,100 lira. They argued that the holiday bonus should be 5,307 lira, taking into consideration the increase in the minimum wage. They urged the government to abandon unfair practices that aim to divide retirees and instead strive for equality among them.
ESG Risks:
– Low pensions and insufficient increases
– Inequality and discrimination among retirees
– Insufficient consideration of actual cost of living in determining pensions
Vulnerable Groups:
– Retirees who are affected by low pensions and insufficient increases
Organizations:
– All Pensioners Union
– AKP government
– TÜİK (Turkish Statistical Institute)
Sectors:
– Pension and retirement sector
Keywords:
– Pensions
– Retirees
– AKP government
– Minimum wage
– Salary increase
– Election bribe
– Inflation figures
– Bonus amount
– Cost of living
– Equality