The economic crisis, which started before the pandemic and increased in severity with the pandemic, then reached its peak with the war with Russia and Ukraine, was also reflected in the inflation figures. According to Turkish Statistical Institute (TURKSTAT), April inflation was 7,25 percent, while high inflation figures brought down the purchasing power of citizens. In order to compensate for the loss of rights experienced by civil servants and retirees, the call for the sliding scale system came from civil servants' unions.
Ali Yalçın, Chairman of the Confederation of Civil Servants Unions (Memur-Sen), pointed out that the increase in inflation figures has been at a serious level in recent years, and emphasized that high inflation data have seriously reduced the purchasing power of citizens. Yalçın said, “The price increases in all consumption products, especially energy, fuel and commodity products, have seriously reduced the purchasing power of fixed income people, especially our civil servants, and increased the injustice in income distribution. The sliding scale system should be activated. As Memur-Sen, we say that there should be a total struggle against inflation with the state achieves price stability and in the form of a nation that supports its state under all circumstances.”
“CIVIL SERVANT AND RETIRED HAVE TO WAIT 6 MONTHS”
Pointing out that the livelihood problem of the citizens is in sight against the ever-increasing prices, President of the Confederation of Independent Public Servants Unions (BASK), Bayram Zengin, expressing that announced data reveals the situation, said, “The prices of basic consumer goods increase every moment, not every month. Civil servants and pensioners who lose their purchasing power have to wait 6 months. The government should update the salaries of civil servants and pensioners, the accumulated inflation losses in the citizens should be paid with additional regulation, inflation losses should be covered with the monthly sliding scale system.”
“NO IMPROVEMENT WILL BE A SOLUTION THAT IS NOT MET MONTHLY”
Pointing out that the raises given together with the collective contract could not resist the high inflation figures, United Public Employees' Unions Confederation (Birleşik-Kamu-İş) Chairman Mehmet Balık stated that the raises given melted away and the civil servants and retirees became serious creditors, “From Collective Bargaining and with a raise of 2,5 percent given by President, civil servants received a 7,5 percent increase in their salaries. However, this increase was lost in the first month when the salaries were paid. Therefore, the civil servant suffered a great loss in the face of inflation. An improvement to be made in July will not cover the loss of 5 months. These losses must be covered monthly, no improvement that cannot be covered monthly will not be a solution. Sliding scale system is essential as a solution to the detriment of civil servants,” he said.