Reaction from Retirees in İskenderun to Inflation Difference Notification: Demand for Flat-Raise

Retirees facing financial difficulties in Hatay's İskenderun district have mobilized to make their voices heard in an effort to compensate for their losses in income. In an initiative organized by the 2021 Tüm Emekliler Sendikası İskenderun Şubesi, the declining welfare levels of members under current economic conditions have raised concerns and led to a concrete demand. The group, finding the inflation-adjusted raises to their pensions insufficient, has sought a more effective solution to maintain their living standards.

Union members and executives sharply criticized the ongoing practice of inflation adjustments, emphasizing that it falls far short of solving the retirees' livelihood struggles. Statements highlighted that in an environment where price increases continue unabated, wages are eroding and purchasing power diminishes day by day, arguing that this system is unjust. It was expressed that inflation adjustments alone are inadequate to cover rising living costs and increasingly expensive needs.

To overcome this economic crisis, the primary solution proposed by the union is to implement a fixed, direct increase rather than a percentage-based raise. Accordingly, a flat-rate raise is requested to provide equal improvement to all retirees, with the expectation that this increase will positively reflect on their quality of life. Retirees argued that this method would be fairer and more effective, stating that a reasonable amount would breathe life into their existence and declaring their resolve.

The Union Branch President and members expressed their hope that this initiative, launched from İskenderun, would encompass retirees across the entire country and garner broad support. A message was issued calling on officials to be sensitive, warning that if demands are ignored, more decisive and large-scale actions could be on the agenda in the search for rights. This request is moving beyond being a local issue, bringing with it a structural debate regarding the method of determining pensions.

Retirees are trying to make their voices heard by conveying that they struggled to pay bills during the harsh winter months and in the face of rising energy costs, and that their budgets are insufficient to cover basic needs such as health and food. The union is calling on the government and relevant authorities to remedy this injustice, which concerns not only its members in İskenderun but all workers within the retirement system, defining the situation as an urgent matter requiring intervention.