Retirees in İnebolu react with 'we do not accept': Wage hikes and budget policies protested

The Retirees' Week, which is supposed to be celebrated across Türkiye between June 28 and July 4, turned into a protest and rights-seeking action by the DİSK Dev Emekli-Sen Branch in İnebolu. In a press statement held at Republic Square (Cumhuriyet Meydanı), the economic crisis retirees face and the loss of rights were brought to the agenda, and a speech was made by Branch President Nurgül Yanık. The statement emphasized that millions of retirees are forced to live with wages far below the hunger and poverty line, despite contributing to the country's economy during their working lives. It was stated that retirees are not in a position to celebrate the holiday under current conditions, that this week is an opportunity for the struggle for rights rather than a celebration, and that the economic difficulties experienced are a consequence of political preferences.

In the speech, the wage hike expected in July and the implemented 'base salary' (kök maaş) system were the main targets of criticism. It was expressed that bringing the lowest retirement pension to 20,000 lira with Treasury support would not even be enough to cover rents in metropolitan cities. Nurgül Yanık argued that due to the base salary application, many retirees would either not receive a raise in July or face an increase well below official inflation figures, stating that TÜİK data does not reflect the inflation actually experienced by the public. In this context, opinions were voiced that retirees struggle to meet basic needs, household food expenses and health costs create a heavy burden on family budgets, and current increases will not improve living standards.

One of the sharpest reactions of the action was directed at budget allocations and expenditure items. Nurgül Yanık accused the government of saying 'there are no resources in the budget' while arguing that resources withheld from the public are transferred to military expenditures and international alliances. Criticizing that the billions of dollars of resources allocated to NATO summits, cross-border operations, and armament are not used to eliminate the grievances of retirees, Yanık said the budget should be for the people, retirees, and health. This approach revealed that retirees are being pushed into deep poverty, opposition to the gradual restoration of stolen rights being presented as a favor, and that 'false good news' is not accepted.

The union representative listed the demands of retirees while also voicing solution proposals. Demanding the immediate abolition of the base salary application and raising the lowest retirement pension to a level befitting human dignity, i.e., above the hunger and poverty lines, Yanık called for an end to the commercialization of health services. She argued that retirees should benefit from free, accessible, and quality public health services without paying a contribution share, and additionally stated that resources used in war budgets and capital exemptions should be transferred to the public. The removal of legal obstacles to organizing and retirees gaining the right to collective bargaining were among other important demands.

The event ended by increasing the retirees' determination to struggle. Nurgül Yanık stated that retirees are in a 'struggle week' and that this struggle will continue and grow, emphasizing that they will be in the squares despite the government and capital. Stating that democracy and class struggle never retire, Yanık said they will continue the rights-seeking struggle until the budget is spent on the people, not on capital and imperialist military partnerships. The statement ended with the slogans 'We are retirees, we are right, we will win', conveying the message that retiree organization will continue on its path in a stronger manner in the future.