The raise that millions of civil servants, retirees and workers received in July quickly melted away. The purchasing power of the minimum wage fell to 9,277 TL at the beginning of September, while the lowest pension lost 3,423 TL.
Erdogan SUZER
Release: 05:30 – 05 September 2023 Updated:
EmployeeThe increase in civil servants and pensioners at the beginning of July evaporated in 2 months. The raises, which were given with a spoon as a salary increase to the low-income people, who are getting poorer every day in the face of the high cost of living, were taken back with the ladle. The purchasing power of the lowest civil servant salary, which rose to 20 thousand 352 liras in July, decreased to 16 thousand 560 liras at the beginning of September due to the hikes. The purchasing power of the minimum wage, which was 11 thousand 402 liras in July, decreased to 2 thousand 125 liras and fell to 9 thousand 277 liras. The purchasing power of the lowest pension of 7 thousand 500 liras, which was not raised in July, in the bazaar market decreased to 4 thousand 77 liras.
2-MONTH INFLATION 22.9 PERCENT
The Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK) calculated the consumer inflation rate as 9.09 percent in August. July inflation was 9.49 percent. Thus, inflation in the first two months after the July hike reached 19.44 percent. The Inflation Research Group (ENAG) also calculated the August inflation rate as 8.59 percent. According to ENAG’s calculation, the 2-month inflation covering the months of July-August was 22.90 percent.
OFFICER LOSE 2,370 TL
Memur-Sen announced that the lowest salary of single and childless civil servants was increased to 20 thousand 352 liras in July. The purchasing power of this officer at the beginning of September melted by 1,764 liras according to the calculation of TUIK, and 2 thousand 370 liras according to the calculation of ENAG. The purchasing power of the lowest civil servant pensioner’s pension, which was increased to 8 thousand 657 liras with a 25 percent increase in July, decreased by 1,613 liras at the end of August to 7 thousand 44 liras. These retirees were not benefited from the 8 thousand 77 lira hike. The purchasing power of the minimum wage, which was increased to 11 thousand 402 liras in July, decreased to 8 thousand 546 liras according to TUIK and to 9 thousand 277 liras according to ENAG at the end of August.
Retired purchasing power decreased to 4.077 TL
of the year Those who received the lowest pension for workers, tradesmen and farmer pensioners, which were increased to 7 thousand 500 liras at the beginning, but never increased in July, suffered a great loss in the face of the price hikes that have been pouring in for two months. As of the end of August, the purchasing power of these retirees, whose number is approximately 9 million, of 7 thousand 500 liras, in the bazaar market decreased to 5 thousand 243 liras with the TÜİK account and to 4 thousand 77 liras with the ENAG account. Likewise, the wages of many private sector employees who were paid above the minimum wage fell below the minimum wage. For example, the current purchasing power of a private sector employee, whose salary was 14 thousand liras in July, is 11 thousand 391 liras.