Wages evaporate with inflation

A The unstoppable inflation did not leave any salary increase in workers, civil servants and pensioners. Faced with high inflation, millions of low-income people lost all the increase they received in July and fell to negative. Since July, the purchasing power of the salary of the lowest grade civil servants has decreased by TL 828 according to the inflation of the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK) and by TL 1,736 according to the calculations of the Inflation Research Group (ENAG).

OFFICIAL LOSS 1,736 TL

The purchasing power of the minimum wage, which was increased to 5,500 liras in early July, fell to 4,372 liras at the end of October, and the lowest pension to 2,782 liras from 3,500 liras. TURKSTAT calculated that the consumer price index (CPI) increased by 3.54 percent in October due to the effect of incessant price increases. Thus, the accumulated increase in inflation in the sum of July, August, September and October, calculated by TUIK, was 10.85 percent. The ENAG, which makes sure to calculate the cost of living of people closer to the truth, announced that consumer inflation reached 7.18 percent in October and the accumulated increase of 4 months reached 25.81 percent . The lowest-ranking official’s salary, which was 5,972 liras in January, increased to 8,462 liras in July with a 7 percent collective bargaining increase and inflation difference. However, the purchasing power of this official was 828 TL according to the inflation calculation made by TUIK and 1,736 TL according to ENAG calculations. The loss of purchasing power of the teacher reached 1,936 liras with ENAG calculation, and the loss of purchasing power of the police officer was 2 thousand 533 liras. The purchasing power of the department head, which was 23 thousand 251 liras in July, decreased to 4 thousand 770 liras and decreased to 18 thousand 481 liras.

Retired lost 1196 TL, minimum wage 1128 TL

Inflation also caused severe income losses for retirees and minimum wage earners. The purchasing power of the lowest pension for retired civil servants, which in July was 5,832 liras, decreased by 1,196 liras with the ENAG account. The purchasing power of the lowest worker, merchant and farmer pensioner, which increased to 3,500 liras, decreased by 718 liras to 2,782 liras. The purchasing power of the minimum wage, which was increased to 5,500 liras in July, decreased by 538 liras to 4,962 liras, according to TUIK, and to 4,372 liras, with a decrease of 1,128 liras according to ENAG.