The unions affiliated with BASK made a statement about the action to quit. BASK Deputy General Leader and Union Sıhhat Sen General Leader Ahmet Dogruyol and union members made a press statement about the action to stop work, which was carried out at 11:00 in the morning on Kıbrıs Şehitleri Caddesi in İzmir, to protest the increase in civil servants.
In his statement, Ahmet Doğruyol stated that with the 30 percent increase given to civil servants in January, the civil servants continued to be impoverished, the spark in the eyes of the officers was extinguished, and the joy of life of the civil servants was taken away from them.
In the press release, Doğruyol said, “According to the official inflation numbers announced by TurkStat, the inflation rate in December is 1.18%, and compared to another independent research company, it is 5.18% in December. In other words, the fact that it is 4.5 times more continues to confuse the heads about the inflation numbers.
According to TUIK, annual inflation was 64.27%, and compared to Independent Research Company, annual inflation was 137.55% with a difference of more than 100%.
The average increase of 122.93% in taxes, penalties and fees since January 2023 by the current government shows that the inflation of the current government that governs the Republic of Turkey was 122.93%. Well, citizens, the inflation of TUIK, which is 64.27%, or the inflation of the government, which is 122.93%? Or will he believe in the 137.55% inflation compared to the survey conducted by independent research companies?” he said.
“Officers and retirees have been dragged into misery”
“Unfortunately, the price of the fact that the calculations of TURKSTAT do not match the facts in the field, unfortunately, primarily our civil servants, pensioners, laborers and low-income citizens pay the price,” said Doğruyol, adding, “As of January 2023, we are in, the 25 percent salary increase for civil servants and pensioners, civil servants and pensioners. dragged the retired into misery. The base salary of many civil servants has fallen to the minimum price level, or even remained below the base price. With the latest increases, the prime basic benefit price of many civil servants has remained below the minimum price, the prime basic benefit price,” he said.
“Officer’s purchasing power is melting”
“It is a pity that in July 2015, a police officer, a nurse friend of ours received the base price about 3 times and the lowest officer about twice the base price, while the salaries of the officers are almost at the base price today.
And the purchasing power of the civil servants is declining day by day,” Ahmet Doğruyol continued and said: “If you had said that today, in January 2024, let’s set the civil servant salaries according to the base price and restore them, the salary increase in January is not 30%, but 100%. It was supposed to be famous.
You have also destroyed the prestige of the civil servant in the eyes of our citizens. It is not acceptable for those who increased all taxes and fees by 122% in January to increase 30% for civil servants and pensioners. In the worst case, the 55% increase in the base price in this period should have been applied to civil servants and pensions as well. You didn’t. Looking into the eyes of all civil servants and retirees, you have reduced the purchasing power of the civil servant by 25%, even compared to the minimum price.”
The 25 percent increase called out to those who applauded
Dogruyol, who applauded the 25 percent salary increase given to the civil servants and said that he called out to the union leaders who are authorized but not influential, has lost its decision since the first month of the 6th Period collective contract, which you signed as a “historical(!) collective agreement”, covering the years 2022 and 2023. .
You have not received an increase above the inflation rate in any of the collective contracts you have made while you are authorized. Presumably, you could not remove the collateral of the officer that was your purpose. But by condemning the officer to misery, you also destroyed the officer’s prestige. I appeal to the party-controlled yellow unions. Rest assured, for the officers, your absence will be more than your presence. Don’t shade it. In the light of all these facts, an additional increase should be given to civil servants and retirees immediately. Over the years, the increases under inflation have now reduced the purchasing power of public employees and retirees, bringing them to the point of being unable to pay their rents and bills.
Giving a 30% increase to civil servants and retirees in an environment where many food items have increased by 150% to 300% in the last year and many items will increase this month does not match the economic realities. It is essential that the tax brackets, which cause the increase given to the officer to be taken back from the officer’s pocket in a short time, should be fixed at 15%.
Dam criticism
“While the nation’s concern is about the economy, poverty and unemployment, the yellow unions, which are under the control of politics, are also worried about the union membership thresholds that are wanted to be brought to other unions, with the concern of how we will retain the members we have in an expected change of power. The union threshold, which was 1% last year, which was unanimously canceled by the Council of State, came out as 2% this year and became law. Saying that the 2% threshold law is against democracy, human rights and conscience, as well as the 51st point of the constitution and the 87 and 98 elements of the ILO (international labor organization), General Leader Doğruyol concluded his statements as follows: On behalf of all trade unions that are below 2%, we would like to thank our political parties in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, who voiced and defended that the threshold is unlawful, and the CHP, which, as the main opposition party, took the 2% threshold to the Constitutional Court as required by law. As the BASK confederation, we will never give up on our efforts.” said. (BSHA)