"Why did you deny 2,5 percent to us?"

When the government's word "We will not let people crush under the exorbitant prices" remained in the air, the lowest class of the country became workers and retirees of Bağ-Kur. Finally, they were deprived of the 2,5 percent raise given to retired civil servants.

The Pensioners' Association of Turkey (TÜED) demanded that the additional increase of 2,5 percent for the pensions of civil servants be made to the pensions of workers and insuranced self-employed institution (Bağ-Kur) retirees.

TÜED Legal Advisor Cafer Tufan Yazıcıoğlu reminded that the annual inflation rate was 36,08 percent compared to the 13,58 percent interval inflation announced by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TURKSTAT) on January 3.

Stating that workers and Bağ-Kur pensions have increased by 25,47 percent with the July-December 2021 inflation data, Yazıcıoğlu said:

"In the 6th Term Collective Agreement, which concerns civil servants and civil servant retirees, there would be a 5 percent increase in salaries as of January 2022. Our President, Mr. Erdoğan, announced that an additional 2,5 percent increase will be made to this figure. Workers and Bağ-Kur retirees also demanded this additional increase, which was welcomed by 4 million civil servants and more than 2 million retired civil servants. We expressed their demand by participating in the discussions of the 'bag' law, which also includes increases in pensions, in the Parliamentary Plan and Budget Committee. But I regret to say that our attempts at the commission were inconclusive. We hope that our demands will be met at the General Assembly stage of the law."

“INCREASE MADE WERE GOING TO PREVENT THE LOSSES”

Expressing that they find the additional 2,5 percent increase in civil servants and civil servant retirees positive as an association, they consider it insufficient, Yazıcıoğlu said following words:

"Increases in the income and pensions of retirees should have prevented the loss in purchasing power caused by price and exchange rate increases. Food and rent hikes, which are the highest expenses in the expenditures of our retirees, increased the grievances. An additional 2,5 percent increase in the salaries of civil servants should have been made for workers and retirees from Bağ-Kur. There should be no distinction between retirees. In this regard, we request that the additional raise demand of workers and Bağ-Kur retirees be re-evaluated by the authorities, taking into account the principle of equality of the Constitution."