Retirees in Balıkesir Protest Not Getting Their Share from Growth

In the Burhaniye district of Balıkesir, Tüm Emeklilerin Sendikası Şube Başkanı Nadir Devrin Şahin reacted sharply to the inflation data recently announced by Türkiye İstatistik Kurumu (TÜİK) and the pension raises. The union head argued that inflation figures reflected in the public do not mirror the realities of life and that the raise rates determined based on these data fall far short of improving the economic situation of retirees, calling on authorities.

Nadir Devrin Şahin expressed great disappointment, stating that the economic growth data and increasing national income provided across the country are not felt by the nation's retired population. The statement emphasized that despite the constant improvement in economic indicators, this level of welfare is not reflected in retirees' salary slips; this segment is crushed by rising living costs and forced to struggle for survival under increasingly difficult conditions. Summarizing the situation with the words, "As the country grows, the share retirees get from growth has shrunk; the results of economic growth have been transferred to capital, not retirees," Şahin stated that a fair slice of the growth pie could not be obtained. With these expressions, he claimed that injustice was committed in the distribution of national income and that the benefits of development were transferred to capital owners while retirees were ignored.

Şahin expressed his reaction in harsh terms, saying it is not possible to accept that the years of labor of retirees and the gains of the republic they founded are disregarded by current economic policies. The Union Chairperson reacted not only to the inflation data but also to the economic packages, shaped in the light of this data, which remain insufficient for retirees. He argued that if the country grows and becomes rich, this welfare should be reflected equally to all segments of society, especially individuals who worked in the past and are retired today. The statements of Burhaniye Şube Başkanı Nadir Devrin Şahin were evaluated as a reflection of the general dissatisfaction that the raise made to pension salaries is insufficient and causes a decline in living standards. These statements emphasized that retirees' demands must be taken into account in future regulations on pension salaries and that a fair income distribution must be ensured.