“The Republic bonus should be at least 10,000 lire”
The news that a one-time bonus will be given to pensioners on October 29, Republic Day, which is of great concern to 16 million pensioners, has also revitalized the pensioners. Kazım Ergün, president of the Turkish Pensioners Association (TÜED), said that the Republic’s top prize, which is said to be given to retirees, should be at least 10 thousand liras.
Kazım Ergün recalled the news that on the occasion of the centenary of the Republic a bonus of 5,000 lira will be granted to retirees and stressed that they appreciate the initiatives in this regard, but do not consider them sufficient.
Ergün pointed out that the majority of retirees, who are barely making ends meet, are looking forward to the increase in their salaries: “In addition to the increase in salaries, vacation bonuses should also be increased. The 5,000 lire bonus given to retirees on the occasion of the centenary of our Republic is also important to provide additional income. However, a bonus of 5,000 lira is neither worthy of our Republic nor capable of making our retirees happy. “The top prize of the Republic must be at least 10 thousand lire.”
Kazim Ergun
IT SHOULD BE THE FIRST AGENDA
TÜED Chairman Kazım Ergün said he looked forward to the opening of Parliament for the increase in pensions of millions of retirees and said: “Our retirees expect to receive an increase in their pensions in October, taking into account the statements of the Government officials. On the other hand, claims that the increase will take place in November and December are causing deep anxiety and reactions among retirees. The first item on Parliament’s agenda in October should be salary increases for retirees. Because millions of retirees have no strength left to endure,” he stated.
Preserve the purchasing power of the vacation voucher
TÜED President Kazım Ergün reminded that the holiday bonuses increased by 10 percent to 1,100 lira in 2021 and said: “According to the study carried out by our association’s research center, when the bonus was first awarded At 1,000 lira in May 2018, our retirees could buy approximately 5.3 grams of 24-karat gold, which is equivalent to 190 lira per gram. If the purchasing power of that time had been preserved, holiday bonuses would have amounted to around 9,000 lire instead of the current 2,000. For this reason, the purchasing power of retirees’ holiday bonuses should be increased to the value they were first awarded in 2018.”