Shocking Inflation Report from United Public-Is: "Workers and Pensioners Cannot Wait for January, Government Should Deal with the Real Problems of the People"

United Public-Is Confederation evaluated the September inflation figures announced by TURKSTAT and revealed the destruction in the purchasing power of civil servants, retired and minimum wage earners. In the statement made by the Confederation's Central Executive Board, it was stated that even according to official figures, employees and pensioners have already fallen into a creditor situation, and the inconsistency of the government's economic targets was heavily criticized.

The Targets Have Already Collapsed: Turkey is the 8th Worst Country in the World in Inflation

The confederation emphasized that the monthly inflation of 3.23 percent announced by TurkStat in September was the second highest monthly increase of this year and higher than the total inflation of 94 countries in the world for the last one year. With annual inflation rising to 33.29 percent, Turkey is better off than only 7 countries in the world (Venezuela, South Sudan, Zimbabwe, Iran, Burundi, Palestine and Argentina).

United Kamu-İş underlined that we are by far the country with the highest inflation rate in Europe, noting that Ukraine, Russia and even Syria, which are at war, have much lower inflation rates than Turkey.

Central Bank and Government Goals Fail

It was pointed out that the anti-inflation targets collapsed before the end of the year:

"Total inflation in the first nine months of the year was 25.43 percent. The Central Bank's target of 24 percent for the end of this year has already come to naught. The government's (Mehmet Şimşek) forecast of 28.5 percent will also fail. At this rate, the government's expectations will come to naught in October."

Employees and Pensioners Already Receivable: Salaries Continue to Melt

The statement made detailed calculations to show how the salary increases of civil servants and pensioners were eroded by inflation in the first months of the year:

• Public Sector Employees and Pensioners: The 5 percent raise, which was separate from the inflation differential, has been completely eroded in just two months. Public employees and pensioners are already 2.4 percent inflation difference creditors.

• Employee and Bağ-Kur Pensioners: Half of the 16.7 percent increase in July has melted away in three months. This segment is currently owed 7.5 percent.

• Lowest Pension: 1,267 lira of the lowest pension, which was increased to 16,881 lira in July, evaporated with the official inflation in July, August and September only.

The Confederation emphasized that it is unacceptable for pensioners and employees to have to wait until January 2026 to compensate for all these losses.

Deep Decline in the Purchasing Power of the Minimum Wage

The damage caused by the failure to increase the minimum wage in July was also noted. It was reported that the purchasing power of the minimum wage decreased by approximately 6 thousand lira, falling below the level in December last year:

"In December last year, the minimum wage was 17,002 liras. Currently, the purchasing power of the minimum wage is equivalent to 16,480 liras according to the range of 2024."

Deepening Crisis in Food, Shelter and Education

The main cause of inflation in Turkey is food prices. Food prices increased by 4.62 percent in September, while food inflation was 5.7 percent according to data from United Kamu-İş's R&D unit KAMU-AR.

The fact that one-third (1.11 percentage points) of the monthly inflation was driven solely by the increase in food prices was also compared with FAO data to show the seriousness of the situation. According to FAO measurements, food prices in the world did not increase in August, while in Turkey they rose by more than 3 percent. It was stated that the increase in education, rent and transportation expenditures also pushed inflation up.

The statement concluded that the government's imaginary goals do not contribute anything to the lives of citizens, on the contrary, they increase poverty and despair. United Kamu-İş called on the political power to produce fair, realistic and social policies that will directly improve the lives of the people, instead of the pink tables drawn at the table.