Retirees protest weak reforms and government ‘sweet candies’

More than a hundred older retirees gathered this Friday in front of the Ministry of Labor in Lisbon to fight against insufficient raises and for what they see as a “little candy cane” that is the promotion of half-retirement in October.

This action, held in several cities of the country, was supported by the MURPIM – the National Confederation of Pensioners, Pensioners and the Elderly – and was supported by several associations and the CGTP, the purpose of which was to demonstrate to the government and parliament that “the increase in this year’s reforms is clearly insufficient in the face of a galloping increase in prices for essential goods and services” and, above all, inflation.

MURPIU chairman Isabelle Gomez told Lusa that this demonstration and concentration in front of the Ministry of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security in Praça de Londres calls for a replacement of “the purchasing power of pensioners because the rise in prices is threatening.”

“It’s not worth saying that we need another 10 or 20 euros, because we really want the purchasing power to recover, which means that prices cannot continue to rise, rise, rise,” he told Isabel Gomez in front of an audience. who carried the confederate flag, banners, and protest posters.

“During the Troika, we had to give up the Christmas allowance and money in order to restore some equality in these circumstances,” the leader stressed.

Regarding the government’s decision, approved by the Council of Ministers, to advance half of the old-age pension in October, Isabelle Gomez told Luza that “it’s a very savory candy.”

“Actually now they are giving, and it is convenient, I will not say that it is not normal to receive half of the additional pension this month, but now, when December comes, instead of having the amount corresponding to the normal increase, which will be about eight percent, we will have only four percent, and this will bring losses every year if the law is not changed, ”which, in his opinion, the Government is preparing to do.

According to Isabel Gómez, “What they are proposing is a change in the law” and they criticize Prime Minister António Costa for promising that the pension law would not be changed, and now allegedly preparing to do the opposite.

“If they were not there, by January, pensioners would have had eight percent. With this little sweetie, we’ll have four, three and a half, and so we haven’t improved at all. On the contrary, when we reach the end of the year, there is the same problem,” he stressed, also highlighting the problems in the National Health Service.

The MURPIU and its supporters have prepared a petition for submission to the Assembly of the Republic to denounce this situation in front of the deputies and ask for viable solutions and changes to the document, which “already has about five thousand signatures” but which aims to “reach seven thousand five hundred”.

When asked about joining this decentralized protest initiative, Isabelle Gomez said that the results were good in some places, such as Setúbal, which has a population of 250, and “a little less” elsewhere in the country, but they did not expect there to be much demonstration. .

“If we wanted to have a big demonstration, we would move everyone to Lisbon. Today it is difficult to take people out into the street and show their faces. All those who took to the streets are ready to show their faces, and that’s what we want,” he stressed.

Against the backdrop of slogans like “The fight continues” and posters that read “Enough, life of pensioners is deteriorating, while speculation and profits are rising”, “For aging with quality of life and well-being” or “Pensions to be reduced to restore purchasing power in 2022, not cut in 2023, – there were several interlocutors during the demonstration.

In conclusion, among them, José Nunciu of MURPIU asked the question: “What kind of government is it that, when the law protects the most disadvantaged, wants to change the law.”