‘We can’t make a living’ action by retirees

Retirees, who are among the sectors most affected by the rise in the cost of living and the economic crisis, are demanding that their salaries be increased and that their Christmas bonuses be at the level of the minimum wage.

All members of the Retirees Union expressed their problems with their protest on İsmet İnönü street in Eskişehir Tepebaşı district.

Pensioners who took part in the action, banner ‘We have the right to live humanely, we will get it’ and ‘We are pensioners, not beggars’, ‘Our right to collective bargaining’, ‘Our right to a human wage, not a percentage increase’ , “We will not surrender to misery”, “The lowest pension is net 15 Thousand people” and chanted slogans such as “We are not beggars, we are retired”, “We want to live humanely”, “There is no salvation alone or all together or none of us.”

Nalan Karagöz, Head of the Eskişehir Branch of the Union of All Retirees, said that the 2,000-lira holiday bonus paid to retirees should be raised to the level of the minimum wage.

‘THE COST OF LIVING IS TOO HIGH’

Nalan Karagöz, head of the Eskişehir branch of the All Retirees Union, stated that retirees have a hard time living, saying, “With these salaries and this holiday bonus, we cannot live a decent life or live up to our traditions.”

Karagöz continued:

“Turkstat, on the other hand, keeps explaining inflation rates that no sane person can accept to suppress the income of retirees and workers; In the countryside, the cost of living in the flow of life is very high. How much longer does he think he can distract retirees with perception management by hiding the truth?

‘PLOT PROMISES BEFORE ELECTIONS, SILENCE NOW’

Emphasizing that the announced inflation of 39.59 percent is not credible at all, Karagöz said: “Declaring the 5-month inflation statements for 2023 to be 15.26 percent is a mockery.”

“June inflation alone is much higher than 5-month inflation when increases in foreign exchange, goods and services are taken into account. Although all this is evident, no increase has been made in the bonus of retirees, the retiree has been ignored”, said Karagöz and said:

“However, we share our demands with the public as heard by your government. We would like to remind you of our demand that retirees be paid at least 4 times a year at the minimum wage level.

“Paying as a bonus an amount that a family of four cannot eat for a single dinner has become shameful and humiliating for us retirees. Increase the Christmas bonus for retirees, who have become the poorest stratum of society after the unemployed, to the level of the minimum wage and urgently pay the difference. You made a lot of promises before the election, why are you silent now?

‘RECALCULATE BONDS, PAY THE DIFFERENCE’

Nalan Karagöz stated that it is claimed that tourism professionals are planning to extend the Eid al-Adha holiday to 9 days and that it is not possible for retirees to go on vacation with their pensions, saying: “At least, don’t embarrass 15 million 600 thousand retirees to their children and grandchildren. We are calling the power: we do not get along. We want to breathe during the holidays, ”he said.

Karagöz, who also called for “Calculate our vacation bonuses at the level of the minimum wage and pay the difference again”, ended his speech with the following words:

“Likewise, the bonuses of widows, orphans and those who receive a salary because of their spouse or parent are not discounted. The Eid bonus should also be paid to our retired friends. We look forward to a solution to this matter as soon as possible. We yell one more time so they can hear. The amount paid to the pensioner as a vacation bonus must be increased to the level of the minimum wage and paid 4 times a year.