Critical Salary Demands from Retirees for the New Year

Retirees Await Opportunity for Salary Adjustment

Turkey Pensioners Association (TÜED) President Kazım Ergün stated that the current calculation system needs to be reviewed to prevent pension payments from decreasing every year. Ergün called for the implementation of a single pension calculation system, using the following expressions:

"Retirees with equal premium earnings and premium payment days should be paid equal salaries regardless of the retirement date. The current calculation system, which lowers pensions, must change."

Need for Adjustment and Salary Balancing

Ergün reminded that the net minimum wage set for 2026 is 28,075 lira and pointed out that the lowest pension payment is at 16,881 lira. Ergün made the following evaluation:

"Approximately 4 million retirees receive the lowest pension. This situation makes it difficult for retirees to make ends meet. As TÜED, we demand that the lowest pension be raised to the minimum wage level and that other pension payments be increased at the same rate. Financial calculations should not be made based on retirees. This is a requirement of the social state understanding."

The Issue of Holiday Bonuses is on the Agenda

Ergün noted that the provision of holiday bonuses to retirees is the result of TÜED's long-standing struggle:

"Since 2018, retirees have been paid 4,000 lira as bonuses during Ramadan and Sacrifice holidays. However, this amount has turned into holiday pocket money under current conditions. Holiday bonuses should be linked to a regular increase system at the level of the lowest pension."

In addition, Ergün emphasized that the practice of paying bank promotion for pension payments was won through TÜED's 10-year struggle, highlighting the necessity of increasing promotion amounts and linking them to a fair increase mechanism.