With the latest regulation on pensions, the base salary was increased to 3,500 Turkish Liras (TL). While high inflation continued to strain the lives of retirees, the increase in the minimum wage led to the expectation of a new base regulation. Zeynel Abidin Ergen, Chairman of the Union of All Retirees, called for the salary increase to be made on the basis of real conditions, and said, “Our expectation is 9,000 TL.”
With the last regulation, the base pension was determined as 3,500 TL. After the minimum wage increase rate of 54,7 percent in 2023 it increased to 8,506 TL, millions of people began to wait for the increase in their pensions. While approximately 1,5 million retirees receive pensions from the base salary, Zeynel Abidin Ergen, Chairman of the All Retirees' Union, called for a raise in accordance with real rates, not percentage rates, in the regulation to be made on pensions.
“THE INCREASE SHOULD BE MADE ACORDING TO THE REAL RATE”
Pointing out that the increase to be made for the lowest pension should be above the minimum wage, Ergen stated that their expectations are 9,000 TL and said, “Our retirees have no power to resist in the face of existing prices. Our living standards need to be updated. In our opinion, protection against inflation cannot be provided with percentage increases in a period when inflation reaches 180 percent. Based on the hunger limit and poverty line, a real rate hike should be given. Our expectations should be realized in the light of real rates. Our expectation for this is 9,000 TL.”
“OUR EXPECTATION IS A NUMBER ABOVE THE MINIMUM WAGE”
Making statements to our newspaper about pensions, Zeynel Abidin Ergen, Chairman of the Union of All Retirees, pointed out that it is not possible for retirees to live on their salaries and said, “Our expectation is to announce a figure above the minimum wage determined as 8,506 TL. Millions of retirees continue to experience grievances due to the low salaries they receive. As a result of our observations, we realized that the poorest part of the society is the retirees after the unemployed. That's why we demand a human figure.”