The retirees took to the field
The entire Mersin branch of the Pensioners’ Union protested at the Özgür children’s park in the city center.
During the protest, banners such as “No to poverty wages, we want to live humanely” and “Budget for retirees, not for war, gangs, sects and thieves”, “Behave retirees, one day is the day”. “, “We must increase the bonuses, we want four bonuses equivalent to a salary” and “Be patient.” The “does not feed” the coins was opened.
At the event in which poems by Nazim Hikmet were read, the president of the branch, Hüseyin Kurt, made the statement to the press.
‘THE SQUARE FALLEN AND LOOKED BALD’
Hüseyin Kurt, underlining that the AKP did a great trick before the elections, said:
“He announced that the pensions of retirees, whose pensions had fallen to the level of pocket money, had been increased to 7,500 TL, and the retirees believed it, looking at the money in their pockets. After the elections his skullcap fell off and he looked bald. Since the announced 25 percent increase in July 2023 was applied to basic pensions, millions of retirees have not received any increase and have continued to receive 7,500 lira. “The discourse of instilling false hope, distractions and deception is repeated every day to prevent the disappointment experienced by retirees, who have difficulty covering even their food expenses, from turning into anger and provoking mass protests.”
‘THE GOVERNMENT LOOKED AT THE PENSIONERS’
Noting that the ‘root pension’ game played for retirees is also played for civil servants, Kurt said: “Although the lowest salary of civil servants was increased, a linear increase was applied. Since the incremental increase is not added to the main salary, it will not be taken into account in subsequent increases. According to the law, the increase in salaries of public officials is directly reflected on retired officials. “But with this so-called linear increase, the AKP also includes the increase that should be passed on to retired civil servants, and is literally shortchanging retirees once again,” he said.
Kurt stated: “The government has seriously shortchanged not only civil servants but all employees with ‘regular pay’.”
EMPHASIS ON ‘SOCIAL DEATH’
Kurt emphasized that retirees and workers will not accept poverty and cost as their destiny and continued as follows:
“Pensioners will not allow the social state to collapse. He never abandons his desire for everyone to live humanely. We will definitely prevent retirees from being pushed into social death. We know that the unity of retirees is essential to achieve this.
We declare that we will increase our efforts to act together with the different unions, associations and federations of retirees. “Turkey’s retirees and workers have this wisdom and mastery.”
They listed their demands
Kurt listed his demands as follows:
-The practice of “root pension” must be ended and the increase in pensions must be made to the actual pensions paid by SSI.
– It should be established as a rule that “the lowest pension cannot be less than the minimum wage.”
– The practice of “recurring payment” must be ended and the increase in salaries of civil servants must be made on the basis of actual salaries.
-The monthly ABO linkage rates must be 70 percent as established by Law No. 507.
– All retirees should receive a 100 percent increase, starting October 1, 2023.
-The difference between pensions that pay the same premium amount in the same period must be corrected and the inconsistency between the pensions of SSK, BAĞ-KUR and Emekli Sandığı must be eliminated.
-Rental assistance should be provided to retirees who do not own a home.
– A law should be enacted on the status of retiree unions.
-End all retiree deductions and levy a wealth tax on dollar billionaires.
The retiree protest, for which the police took intense precautions in the surrounding area, ended without incident after the press release.