Turkish Health Union Kocaeli Branch President Ömer Çeker, in his statement, said, “Turkish Statistical Institute announced the inflation figures for the first month of 2024. Accordingly, the rise in inflation continued in January. One-month inflation was 6,70%. Annual inflation reached 64,86%. As it is known, according to the results of the collective agreement negotiations held last year, public servants and retirees were given a raise in January for the first 2024 months of 6.
According to the inflation figures announced by TUIK, approximately 7% of this increase in the first month has been officially eroded. Thus, 8% remained from the salary increase. Public employees will have to survive with the 8% increase they have until July, the next raise period, but their salaries will continue to erode in the face of inflation that occurs every month. If it continues at this rate, the entire raise given next month, in the first half of 2024, will melt against inflation and the purchasing power of civil servants and retirees will begin to decline.
CONTINUOUS DECREASE OF PURCHASING POWER
CBRT's inflation forecast for 2024 is 36%, but the total increase predicted for civil servants and retirees is +10; cumulative 26,5%. This shows that salaries will melt during the year, even according to official figures. We are now living in a period where increases in civil servant salaries fall even short of the inflation target. Accordingly, the salary increases decided as a result of collective agreement negotiations reveal that the increase in salaries for civil servants and retirees is as high as inflation.
CONTINUOUS DECREASE OF PURCHASING POWER
This means that the salaries of public employees and retirees are eroding and their purchasing power is constantly decreasing. Such a wage policy cannot be sustained any longer. As Türk Sağlık Sen, we always state that public employees and retirees should be given salary increases that match market realities. We emphasize that in order to increase the purchasing power of our public officials, it is mandatory to make an increase not less than 2024%, which is the revaluation rate applied to public receivables for 58, and to provide a welfare share in addition.
THERE IS NO STRENGTH LEFT TO STAND
In order to solve the economic problems experienced by civil servant retirees, we insist that the additional payment, which increased to 12 thousand 54 TL as of January but was not given to retirees, should be reflected in their pensions. The developments and official figures confirmed that the salaries of civil servants and pensioners are constantly melting, and this melting must absolutely be stopped. Even TÜİK's figures say that neither public employees nor our retirees have the strength to withstand these price increases they face in the market. He concluded his words by saying, "We call on the authorities to act according to this fact and make an increase that includes the welfare share for public employees."
