The Conscious Teachers Association (ÖĞDER) Branch Heads Meeting was held in Ankara with a wide participation. Speaking at the meeting, ÖĞDER Chairman Hamdi Sürücü drew attention to the decline in purchasing power due to increasing inflation, especially the problems experienced by educators.
THE AMOUNT OF INFLATION NEEDS TO BE ADDED
Emphasizing that the country's most important issue is the cost of living, Sürücü underlined that inflation is advancing at an unstoppable pace. Sürücü said, “Salaries have melted in the face of inflation. 5 months ago, the 50 percent increase in the conditions of that day meant something. But in the 5-6 months, 50 percent of these increases are meaningless. The money given has no value. Melting salaries should be completed with salary increases to be made in July. In order not to crush the workers with inflation, after the increase in the wages equal to the lost inflation, the welfare share must be added on top of it. At least 3 percent welfare share must be added. Even the amount of future inflation must be added. In other words, we do not want our past 6 months to be covered after 6 months of loss, but we want our next 6 months to be calculated so that we do not make any loss.”
SÜRÜCÜ: “THIS IS NOT APPROPRIATE”
Stating that teachers should definitely be supported in terms of salary, Sürücü added, “We have more than 90 thousand teachers working in return for additional lessons. These are people who do not have a staff and work in exchange for additional lessons. Then, it is necessary to know that these people who work in return for additional lessons work for half the minimum wage. And the wages of these people in return for additional lessons should be at least as much as the hunger limit declared by Turkey. This has to be calculated, that is, the additional course fee of the permanent teachers should not be the same the first time they receive an additional fee after receiving their salary, with the additional course fee of the teacher who works only for additional lessons without his/her salary. This is not fair.”